I had met some folks from Sri Lanka in Rishikesh. When they left he gave me his business card (lawyer) and told me to call if ever I was in Sri Lanka. Three months later I was there getting my Indian visa renewed. I had a nice room in a guesthouse by the ocean and was nicely settled in. After a few days I called the couple and invited them over for chai.
When they left she gave me a business card of a friend and suggested I call him. He wanted to meet me and had offered free room and food if I would come. But I was happy where I was and only had a few days to wait for my visa. So I didn't call him. My new approach to life was do nothing if possible. So I thought if I was supposed to meet him I would, somehow.
My last stop in Sri Lanka was emigration. He couldn't scan my passport because it was a little crumpled from all the bike riding I'd dunn. So he tried several times to straighten it out. Finally he pulled too hard and ripped my ID page right out of the passport. Nooooo.
I pleaded with the authorities to write a letter explaining what happened so I could present that to the Indian officials when I landed. But no, they refused and insisted I leave the airport immediately since I had no passport. What? Really? Indeed.
So there I was, running short of rupees, no passport, no hotel, geeeez, what to do? Oh, that hotel guy. I could call him. I did. He was away but the manager who had been informed I might call said to come anyways and wait for his return. I did. The hotel was fabulous. Right on a lake. Swimming pool. Wow. I waited for four days for his return and in the meantime organized a temporary passport and then visa.
He arrived one afternoon and introduced himself as Major Vijith Welikala, retired army major. Turned out he owned three hotels, adventure tour company, had a security guard firm with 3000 employees, was voted Sri Lanka's entrepreneur of the year twice and married to a famous Sri Lanka movie star. Wow. And we got along like long lost brothers.
I showed him what I did for a living and he hired me on the spot. A year long contract to redo all his marketing stuff and develop a new offering for Sri Lankan nationals who were away from their families for long periods of time.
And so again ... what seemed to be the worst possible thing turned into the best possible thing. Go figure.
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