AOK Faithful, I’m writing to you as I come to a realization.

As I began this adventure three days ago, I hadn’t thought about how far I’d be from my native San Francisco Bay Area. I hadn’t thought about how long I’d be away from my family, old friends, and home. I didn’t even consider that I’d still be living in a tropical city ONE DEGREE north of the EQUATOR, which the undying humidity quickly pointed out to me. Time had sped up during the last few weeks, and suddenly I’m here. That said, in 72 hours time, I’ve learned a lot. Please note the following social observations:

• So far, I have not seen one homeless person in Singapore, which is odd, because nearly every major city I’ve been to has at least some sort of number of them.

• There are no sirens here, and the sheer abundance of security and CCTV cameras creates a very “Big Brother” feeling. I’m guessing that if there is ever an emergency, someone has already seen the situation before you can even call it in. Little creepy.

• For a country known for its cleanliness, trashcans are actually incredibly scarce, and if you have something to throw away, be prepared to hold onto it for a few blocks while you scan the sidewalks for a bin.

• If you’re a race that doesn’t fit in here (aka, not Asian or Indian), take Caucasian for example, know that you WILL be stared at. A lot. On the metro. In a dining hall. On the beach. If I ever look around in a public area, there is always a set of eyes on me. Also a little creepy.

• But above all, the most important that I have to share with you, is that the people here, native or not, are incredibly, incredibly helpful.

I’ve quickly noticed that the answer to whatever question I have is seconds away, as long as I ask. Singaporeans won’t talk to me unless I provoke them, which can be intimidating at first but hasn’t turned into an issue yet. If I’m lost, need an ATM, or am trying to find the mall to buy sheets for my bed, the understanding and eagerness to guide me is kind of astounding. Take my new friend Yousef, from Pakistan.

On my second day here, I was trying to make my way to a shopping center to buy bedsheets, laundry detergent, and a cell phone. I’d been there the day before with a friend, but was so exhausted from my 25 hours of traveling I didn’t remember the route at all. I’d looked up directions on my computer (thank God for Google) and headed out, determined that I’d return victorious. I got off at what I thought was my stop, and this Middle Eastern, bearded man immediately saw through my faked confidence.

He asked me about my bus pass and if I knew how to use it correctly, and then asked if I was an exchange student studying at NTU. I reluctantly told him I was, suspecting some sort of scam as I tried to avoid more conversation. He was persistent though, and seemed genuinely interested in who I was and where I was going. He was excited to hear I was from California and told me about his trip to San Francisco and Sacramento. I learned he was studying for his master’s degree in some sort of engineering major, and I told him I was there for my journalism degree. He wanted to know where I was going and what I needed, and then, without me even asking, proceeded to look at my shopping list and took the time to tell me where I could get the best deals and how to get there. I was actually going to the wrong mall, so he gave me the correct bus number and explained how I should get to the right one. Very, very cool dude. He left with a sturdy handshake and said he hoped to see me around campus; that he’d like to get coffee sometime and talk more about California.

I took his advice and lo and behold, I made my way to the right mall, got all my stuff done, and didn’t feel too scammed. Since then, I’ve followed the same route, and I hope I see Yousef sometime so we can talk more about where we’re from. I don’t know much about Pakistan, and it’d be great to learn from a local’s perspective.

One of the best things about this random act of kindness was that there have been at least 4 other similar scenarios. It’s been great to experience help whenever I’ve needed it, and I’m glad I get to travel in a country where that’s so easy to come by. And for that, I’ve realized one of the greatest adventures of my life has only just started.

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Hey AOKers! Exciting news on the expansion front – AOK is going global! No. Literally.

Matt here and I’ve been at AOK for the past three months doing all sorts of cool and fun stuff. From Android-testing to AOK sticker-pushing, it’s been sweet, and it’s about to get sweeter. Here’s some background info: Currently, I’m a journalism senior at San Diego State University, and for my upcoming Fall Semester I’m studying abroad for the first time. ‘Where?’ you ask? No, not in Australia’s outback or the streets of western Europe, as so many US students seem to do. I decided to vastly increase my risk of culture shock and study in Singapore*, a thriving, tiny island in the middle of Southeast Asia.

Me on Marina Bay in Singapore on National Day. World famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel is in the background (the infinity pool on the roof is on my to-do list).

(*Quick fact: Singapore is a weird hybrid of a country/city/state/island all in one incredibly humid package. It’s located 1 degree north of the Equator, and, as I’ve had to explain a few times already, is not right next door to China, Japan, or the Koreas; it’s much further south. Think closer to Malaysia, Thailand, and Bali.)

And to put this into a little better perspective: I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m a tall, lanky white-boy from northern California who was bred on English and un poco of muy mal Spanish. I have little knowledge of Singapore or Southeast Asian culture in general, so I’m expecting a pretty strong “fish-out-of-water” feeling. But while I’m orienting myself around Singapore and its surrounding countries for the next five months, I think AOK can fit pretty well into this picture.

Surprisingly, even to all of us at AOK central, AOKs are already being submitted from all over the world. People in Sweden, Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, Saudi Arabia and even Thailand, have either downloaded the app or visited AOK.tv, thusly jumping on board the generosity train. Personally, I think this is fascinating and it’s gonna be great to do and see AOKs from a very real, and very international perspective. And, luckily for you the faithful, a big part of our philosophy here focuses on sharing.

During my time abroad, I’ll be sharing stories and lessons learned about what kindness and generosity is from all sorts of worldly perspectives. With the help of my fellow international students from all over the planet, and by traveling to our neighboring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Bali, I hope I can learn about giving a little back to society in ways I would’ve never imagined. And I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

Check back here throughout the upcoming weeks for blog updates, photos and even videos, and in the meantime, keep AOKing! So long for now – next time I’ll be talking to you from the other side (or maybe your side) of the world.

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