Its A Small World After All

So I've started this blog... My original idea was to write about what I was up to out here in Berkeley, CA so all my East Coast friends and family could keep track of my exploits (and hoping that I would be able to keep from having to repeat the same stories over and over). Before I even started writing though, I realized that as a topic, my day-to-day life in Berkeley is going to be a pretty boring read, and probably even more dreadful to write about. So I'm going to refrain from chronicling my life out here.

There will be a sampling of life in Berkeley and my adjustment to the West Coast, but I'm going to stick mostly to public health issues, two of the hot items right now being H1N1 (one of the few things I can call myself an expert on) and health care reform (currently honing my expertise).

This first post will refrain from health issues to make one point: despite being a tiny dysfunctional speck of planet earth, Rhode Island seems to reach even the West Coast with relative ease, I'll explain...



Instance 1: My thankfully uneventful plane trip was made at least slightly interesting by the commonalities I discovered between myself and the middle-aged couple sitting to my right on board our Boeing 757 from Boston to San Francisco. Carol happened to ask if I was 'coming or going', I replied that I was going... for quite some time... and explained how I was starting an MPH degree at UC Berkeley. Upon hearing that I attended URI, Carol and her husband Neil inquired if I knew Professor Manchester... "well there is no professor Manchester at URI [to my knowledge] but I know a Margaret Manchester that teaches at Providence College," I replied, "and she happens to be a close family friend." 'Yes, thats it! We know the Frees... I teach with Scott at Berkley [School of Music]' replied Neil. The Frees lived next-door to the Manchesters for years as I was growing up in Barrington, RI, and both families were close friends of my own family, as most of us kids were around the same age. The Olmsteads (Neil and Carol) had been to the same beach houses in the summer and met many of the same folks I knew as I was growing up. I hope they enjoyed their vacation in San Francisco.

Instance 2: After arriving in Berkeley and moving into my apartment on Tuesday (Aug 18th), my roommates and I split up to hit all the yard sales in Berkeley that Saturday. Alex and I took his Subaru wagon around south Berkeley, while Bobby and Doug took the north. After getting a 'New England Discount' on a set of chairs for our dining room from a woman wearing a UMass sweatshirt (Alex is from Western Mass), our second stop was looking much less interesting. We did however find a functioning iron for $1, so I we happily made the purchase from the couple staffing the yard sale. When they inquired where we were from (I think my Rhode Island Ultimate sweatshirt gave it away) and I responded with 'Rhode Island'. They happily informed me that they too, were both from the Ocean State. Upon further discussion I found that Janet had worked as an RN at Rhode Island Hospital for quite some time (and of course knew a couple colleagues of mine at the RI Dept of Health) and was now the immunization coordinator for the city of Berkeley. When I informed her of my concentration at Cal in Infectious Disease, and my work on H1N1 back in Rhode Island, she gave me her business card. I'm excited to put it to use.

[Update: I'm currently in conversation with Janet working the logistics of having the Association of Public Health Infectious Disease Students (APHIDS) help staff flu vaccination clinics]

Instance 3: Three days later I was attending the 'Center for Public Health Practice' leadership day prior to the start of class. As they were busy pumping us full of accolades and promises of the many opportunities that lay ahead of us, I asked the other students of the table I was sitting at where they were from... Virginia, California, North Carolina...RHODE ISLAND!? I had certainly expected myself to be the only one at my table (indeed, in the whole auditorium) to be uttering that state name. It turns out the Divya, a 1st year Epidemiology MPH student, graduated from East Greenwich high school the same year that I graduated from Barrington High. She had been my college roommate's square dancing partner in Jr. High, she knew a co-worker of mine from the kayak shop in Wickford, and knew my friend Sushil (now a law student here at Cal) and highschool classmate Nick Bauer from when they attended Brown University. I had wondered if my immediate high-five to her for both being from RI was a little over the top, but apparently she has just as much pride in our tiny state as I do. The only people a bit perplexed were the rest of the students at our table... I guess you don't get quite as excited when you meet someone else from North Carolina.

Instance 4: Last but not least is Andrew, the sandwich shop counter attendant where Divya and I went to get lunch between classes. He happened to comment ('hey, nice shirt') on the Narragansett Little League t-shirt I was wearing, obtained from when Maria worked at their Parks and Recreation department. I was of course confused, because it is not a nice shirt. Seeing my confusion, he explained that he graduated from Narragansett High in 2000. Of course he knew both Toby Johnson and Carris Transue, Narragansett natives whom I worked with at summer camp.

It is indeed a small world. The one-degree-of-separation rule holds strong for Rhode Islanders, even ones transplanted to the West Coast. Every RI native I've met has had more than one mutual aquaintence. I take it as a sign that I'm on the right path...