Acts of kindness can be carried out in all forms and sizes, but the appreciation of the underlying good intentions of people everywhere leaves a lasting impression on us. This article is an extension of a previous article that shared the stories of NYU Shanghai students who had memorable experiences with people in Shanghai. Kindness never runs out; therefore, there will always be stories to share and learn from if we just look out for them.

We caught up with two students at NYU Shanghai who were instantly ready to share their story when asked about their heartwarming experiences with people in Shanghai.

When interviewing Amina Almatova, a sophomore, she recounts the time she met a really cool local artist selling really great artwork at a bar called C’s in Shanghai. The artist was happy to hear that Amina liked her work and gave her some of the stickers she was selling for free. The artist told her of a second hand environmental market in three weeks that Amina could find her at, of which she did end up going to. They had a really cute reunion and Amina’s support for this local artist continues to this day as she still buys her products on Taobao!

Another heartwarming moment shared comes from Ari Harris, a freshman who is volunteering as an English teacher at an organization called Stepping Stones in Shanghai. As someone new to the city and still unfamiliar with the metro system, she recounts the first time she had to figure out how to take the metro to the school where she would be teaching. Unfortunately, as soon as she got off the metro, the internet on her phone stopped working. Ari had to walk around asking strangers if they could help her, and lucky for her she ran into a girl who spoke fluent English and could give her instructions on how exactly to reach the school!

These moments demonstrate how even the smallest of kind interactions can go a long way in bringing happiness and ease. Therefore, don’t underestimate the power of these acts especially when you are in a position of being able to help because you never know what the other person is going through to begin with. On another note, support your local artists because as Amina said, there are a lot of Artists in Shanghai creating cool things and your support means a lot to them, too!

Photo cred: Qantas