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ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART A

INTERNATIONAL BROMANCE

Sometimes in life, a bad thing can actually be a blessing in disguise. No one knows this better than Matt Stopera.

Sometimes in life, what can a bad thing actually be? A bad thing can actually be a blessing in disguise. Does anyone know this better than Matt Stopera? No, no one knows this better than Matt Stopera.

When his iPhone was stolen from a bar, he had no way of knowing that this was the beginning of a story that would make him famous around the world.

What was stolen? Matt’s iPhone was stolen. Where was it stolen from? It was stolen from a bar. Was this the end of the story? No, it was the beginning of the story. What kind of story was it? It was a story that would make him famous around the world.

On a chilly winter evening in February of 2014, Matt Stopera pours his second glass of Pinot Noir.

Was Matt drinking beer? No, he wasn’t. He was drinking red wine. Pinot noir is a kind of red wine.

Have you ever drunk Pinot Noir?

He sits on a stool in his favorite bar in the East Village of New York City.

Where was the bar? It was in the East Village of New York City. Have you ever been to New York City?

It’s happy hour, and he’s chatting with some of the regulars as they filter in from their long day of work.

What time is it? It’s happy hour. And who is Matt chatting with? He’s chatting with some of the regulars as they filter in from their long day of work.

Like Matt, most of them are young professionals, looking to hang out and network with one another.

Are the regulars taxi drivers? No, probably not. They are young professionals. And what are they looking to do? They’re looking to hang out and network with one another.

As always Matt is multitasking: juggling text messages on his iPhone while following the Knicks game on TV, and sharing some laughter with the other patrons.

Is Matt only focused on one thing? No, he’s multitasking. Is he juggling his iPhone? No, he’s juggling text messages ON his iPhone. Is he following the Celtics game? No, he’s following the Knicks game.

And is Matt sharing some tears with the other patrons? No, he’s sharing some laughter with the other patrons. Are you a multitasker?

After several hours of this - and another bottle of wine - he goes to pay his tab and realizes that his iPhone has vanished.

How long has Matt been drinking wine? He’s been drinking wine for several hours. And what has vanished? His iPhone has vanished.

Matt borrows a friend’s phone, calls his own number and it goes straight to voicemail: the international sign of death for stolen phones.

Is getting voicemail on your missing phone a positive result of calling your own number? No, getting voicemail is the international sign of death for stolen phones.

A wily thief swiped it from the bar. “That phone’s gone for good,” thinks Matt.

Did a dumb thief swipe Matt’s phone from the bar? No, a wily thief swiped Matt’s phone from the bar. What did Matt think to himself? He thought, “That phone’s gone for good.” Have you ever had your cellphone stolen?

About a year later, Matt’s sitting on the couch at home with some friends and looking at the photos on his new iPhone.

One year later, where is Matt sitting? He’s sitting on the couch at home with some friends. Are they looking at YouTube videos? No, they’re not. They’re looking at photos on Matt’s new iPhone. Do you have an iPhone?

That’s when he sees a bunch of pictures he didn’t take, mostly selfies of an Asian man standing in front of an orange tree.

Does Matt see selfies? Yes, Matt sees selfies. Are they selfies of a German woman standing in front of an apple tree? No, they are mostly selfies of an Asian man standing in front of an orange tree. Do you ever take selfies?

He feels a mixture of astonishment and mystery, wondering who the man is and how these photos could have suddenly appeared on his new phone.

Does Matt feel a mixture of boredom and melancholy? No, he feels a mixture of astonishment and mystery. What does Matt wonder? He wonders who the man is and how those photos could have suddenly appeared on his new phone.

For the next month, fresh photos from the mysterious man come in daily. Some are of fireworks, others are of people, random street scenes, and more orange trees.

Do fresh photos come in weekly? No, fresh photos come in daily. Are some of fireworks? Yes, some are of fireworks. What are the others of? They are of people, random street scenes, and more orange trees.

Eventually, Matt realizes what is happening: his stolen iPhone has ended up in China, and the man taking pictures with it is its new owner.

Has Matt realized that his stolen iPhone has ended up in Italy? No, he realizes that his stolen iPhone has ended up in China. And who is the man taking pictures with it? The man taking pictures with Matt’s old iPhone is its new owner.

And the reason those pictures are showing up on Matt’s new iPhone is because his old phone was still connected to his iCloud account, which hadn’t changed.

Why were the pictures still showing up on Matt’s new iPhone? They were showing up because his old phone was still connected to his iCloud account, which hadn’t changed. Do you have an iCloud account?

So to solve the problem once and for all, Matt simply logs into his iCloud and deletes the old phone from his account. Dead as a doornail. Or so he thinks…

Does Matt finally solve the problem? Yes, he solves the problem once and for all. How does he do it? He simply logs into his iCloud and deletes the old phone from his account. And then what does Matt think? He thinks his old iPhone is as dead as a doornail. Do you think this is the end of the story?