As I’m nearly halfway through my semester of studying abroad in Singapore, I’ve grown used to certain aspects of life here, ya know, as you’d expect. The frequent use of public transportation, the amount of sheer greenery on this island, the societal mindset, and even the tropical weather have all become normalized in my mind.

But one part of Singapore that still stands out to me is a government-curated organization under the name, The Singapore Kindness Movement.

I first noticed the organization’s posters a few weeks back, as I was waiting at a bus stop. The sign immediately stood out to the AOKer in me and I thought, “Oh hey, that’s cool.” And I decided to investigate.

No, I'm not fluent in Chinese (yet), but what caught my attention is the logo - see below.

To the Internet!

Turns out the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) was established in 1996 after then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called on the Singaporean people to work toward creating a more “gracious society.” Apparently this proposition was so important, its announcement came during a speech that sounds like the equivalent of the US’s State of the Union Address. Rising to the Prime Minister’s call, the SKM was born.

According to the SKM website, “Considerate social behaviour supported by a strong economy and good government will make Singapore the best home for its people. In line with Mr. Goh’s call to build a gracious society, the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) aims to encourage Singaporeans to make a positive commitment to gracious living through simple acts of kindness in their daily activities.”

“To inspire graciousness through spontaneous acts of kindness, making life more pleasant for everyone,” stands as its mission statement.

Sounds easy enough! And with its current public transportation campaign, the reminders for Singaporeans and others to be “gracious” are hard to miss. If you walk into a metro station or take a bus anywhere, you’ll see SKM signs reminding you to give up your seat to someone in more need; say an elderly person or a pregnant woman.

What I think is cool about the SKM is that it’s a widespread, national organization that promotes the well-being of all, for free. There isn’t any fine-print, there are no fees, no legal mumbo-jumbo: just simple, social reminders to help one another out. Volunteer your seat! Clean up after yourself at the cafeteria! Be a little more mindful!

The whole Kindness Movement cause sounds very AOK, including its objectives:

1. To encourage all Singaporeans to be kind and considerate.

2. To create public awareness of acts of kindness.

3. To influence and raise the standards of behaviour and responsibility.

Is it just me, or could this org. count as a widespread Observation??

While this isn't a part of the SKM campaign, I still noticed it in my dining hall on campus. Mindfulness is alive and well in Singapore!

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The end result of RaOP.

Lately, it feels like my mind’s been blown by the power of the Internet, the swagger of social media, the constant creativity of the online world. And when I say my mind’s been blown lately, I mean at least once every other day. That said (and combined with my growling stomach – I’m currently running on a less-than-filling Cup of Noodles), I gotta share these two foodie-AOKs with you guys.

Numero uno kills me – it’s just too good: the name of this effort is called…get ready…Random Acts of Pizza. Seriously. I mean, c’mon. The thing must’ve been born for this blog.

According to a recent news article, Random Acts of Pizza is an online forum for people to ask for, and give, pizzas! Simple as that.

Down on your luck and hungry? Having a sleepover with some friends and no one has enough cash for delivery? Know someone who could use a sweet surprise? Powered by reddit.com, a link-sharing website, RAoP is a site with over 9,000 people willing to give-and-take pies via this awesome service. I know the layout of the site might be a little rough on the eyes, but with stories of gratefulness like THIS, how can you not enjoy it? I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to change up their AOKs. Very cool.

*Editor’s note: I’ve now moved on from my sad top ramen noodles, and am trying to enjoy a canned coffee drink I found at a convenience store on campus. In a crippling twist of fate, I noticed it was low-fat drink only after money changed hands. At this point in the story, I’d like a pizza and a Starbucks…maybe I should’ve studied abroad in Italy…or Seattle…hmmm…*

Jonathan Stark's now closed Starbucks card.

But, continuing! This may be my lack of real coffee talking, but Jonathan’s Card was crazy, stupid cool, at least while it lasted. In the same fashion as RAoP, Jonathan’s Card was a public Starbucks card that a man named Jonathan Stark put to very creative use.

Utilizing the miracle of smartphone technology (AOKers, you should be familiar with that), Stark put a picture of his app-based Starbucks card online, and encouraged people to download the photo on their own phones and use its bar code to purchase their own drinks. In his own words on his website, he said, “Seriously. My card gets charged, you don’t … If you’re feeling generous, you can also add money to my Starbucks card by doing this and enjoy some serious good karma.”

A Frankenstein-esque experiment in social media, technology, and sharing, Jonathan’s Card was a hit, with people all over the world downloading the image, paying for their caffeinated beverages of choice, and then (hopefully) putting money back on the card for its next use. AOK’s own CEO, Ira Liss, even participated in the game. Heck, the card even had it’s own Twitter, spitting out live messages of its balance every time it was scanned! I started following it, and my Twitter feed quickly became less about Motor Trend or Roger Ebert, and more about dollars gained or lost.

However, Jonathan’s Card’s shenanigans were short-lived. Starbucks unfortunately closed the card 12 days ago, citing fraud concerns.

But the card had an outstanding run (July 7-Aug. 12, RIP), with GOOD Magazine reporting that in its final days, it filtered more than $8,000 in coffee thanks to over 500 users.

I’m sorry to see JC go, but was delighted to read Stark’s thoughts on the end.

While you no longer have the chance to use Ira’s *StarbucksSamaritan flashtag on behalf of Jonathan, can anyone think of a clever pizza-giving one?

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