Back in January I left my cellphone in the back of a taxi on the way to a karaoke bar. My friend, Yoshinori Nishiki visited the police and called taxi agency — insisting the if my phone was found, it would be returned. After a week it hadn’t turned up and I told Yoshi thanks for the help but it was most likely gone forever. The phone was insured and I replaced it by paying $150; two weeks later it was in my hand. I wasn’t as upset with the money as I was with losing the photos I had taken of the Fushimi Inari Shrine and Nagoya Castle (which I absolutely fell in love with) that I was unable to upload before my phone was lost.
Fast forward six weeks — I was in Argentina and Yoshi messaged me on Facebook to tell me that my phone had been located by the taxi company! Another month later, after it was ransomed by Argentinian customs, returned to Yoshi in Kyoto and sent to me in Uruguay, I received it. Yoshi is a true friend for doing all of the leg work – thanks buddy.
Last month I had the opportunity to return a favor to Yoshi. He messaged me on Facebook to tell me he was moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and asked if I knew anyone to introduce him to (since he had no friends there). I asked my network and eventually we connected him to a guy he ended up meeting and really hitting it off with. As uncomfortable as it was for Yoshi to put so much effort in retrieving my phone for me, it felt great to be able to do something nice (albeit small) for him. I often forget that allowing others to help us is a gift that we give to them. A little practice helps me not to forget.
You can view the photos retrieved from my phone (thanks to Yoshi!) now on my photography site — Nagoya is here, Fushimi Inari shrine is here, here and here, and the rest of my photos from Japan are here.
