With so many negative news stories circulating, it can be depressing. If you have any fun, entertaining, or even embarrassing personal stories related to cultural differences that you'd like to share with our community, we'd love to hear them. Please submit your story by December 13th IN THE "SHARE YOUR STORY" CHANNEL.

Due to popular demand, we will be holding another live streaming session next Friday, December 15th, at 12 PM Korea time. This isn't our usual monthly townhall meetup; as promised, we're taking your membership experience to the next level by letting you participate in reshaping the news narrative.

We will feature the best submissions to share a laugh, and might even showcase your stories on our main YouTube channel in the future! Don't worry if you are not a professional writer; just share something personal and culture-related (photos are a great addition, too). We look forward to reading your stories!

We love highlighting the contributions of our community members to the general public. Our “what’s considered rude in Japan” video got released to YouTube today. Great job to all who have asked interesting questions. Stay tuned for the next video topic where you can pitch in with your own questions!
Credit: Tracey Rice Hayun Kim Tuleshwori Sapam Stephen Wagner Annaleisa Bruen

This channel is where you can see all the announcements and calls-to-action from us, vote for topics, and participate in other decision-makings as a community. The more you engage, the more decision-making we will defer to you. If you also have any feedback or suggestions on any products you want us to create or how to improve the overall community experience, you can let us know here.

Our vision for this community is that it will evolve to become one of the most influential platforms for democratizing the news media, where anyone can pitch in and see the “real” news from Asia that people actually care about. Imagine seeing some positive and meaningful news by the people for the people for a change that’s free from all the political or corporate influences! To achieve such ambitious vision, we all need to do our part to set the right ground rules and culture for this community:

1\. The community has to be strictly moderated and have a zero-tolerance policy towards name-calling, harassment, commercial spamming, and any disrespectful or judgemental behaviors that will discourage others from participating. At the same time, we value your freedom of speech and believe in open & honest conversations. This means you won’t be blindly censored based on your beliefs or viewpoints (no matter how misinformed or ignorant they may be) just because it’s not politically correct and may trigger some people. Just be respectful and understanding even when you disagree, because you might see that person in real life (Yes, we have plans for offline events/conferences for our members in the future)

2\. You are encouraged to introduce yourself using your real name and photo. Tell us why you decided to become a member and join this community. In your introduction, do not provide any personal information like your phone number for your own safety. If you are just looking to hit on the opposite sex and be creepy, we will take necessary measures. If you see anything suspicious, report the post or user immediately.

3\. We have to hold each other to higher standards and PARTICIPATE. Whenever you are not voting on important decisions, keep sharing whatever interesting experiences or stories you have about Asia or what’s happening around you if you are based in Asia. Be the “reporter” that the world didn’t know they needed and just write about your own story! We don’t want to see people regurgitating and debating endlessly over any mainstream news narratives that are political, divisive, and sensationalized. We can create our own news that could bring people together!

Just remember, each and every one of you has the power to take this community to the next level and help build cultural bridges on a truly global scale. That makes you “boss.” Welcome to the community.