The Day I "Invaded" the Kaia Office – September 18, 2024

While in Singapore for Token 2049, I figured, why not stop by and surprise the Kaia team at their office? Only a few knew I was in town, and even fewer knew when I’d drop by, so naturally, I turned this into my own little covert mission. ??

Decked out in my Kaia dl shirt and buzzing with excitement, I walked into the office with no idea what to expect, but eager to finally meet the people I’ve only seen on a screen. Christopher Koo was the first to greet me, and he introduced me to a few folks around. Turns out, my "grand entrance" was timed just as most of the team was still recovering from a late-night event. ?? But hey, I was too early, so no complaints from me!

The office had such a great energy, and the view from the window? Jaw-dropping. Right there, in full view, was Marina Bay Sands — strategically placed next to the pantry, so you could grab a coffee while soaking in the view. Honestly, if I worked there, I’d probably spend more time in the pantry than at my desk! ??

Of course, I couldn’t resist snooping around the office decor. They had a cool collection of toys and figures (major brownie points for any office that celebrates fandoms!). There was a laptop covered with stickers, anime characters (yes, Anya from Spy x Family included!), and even some animal figures. This took me back to my corporate days when my desk was decorated with Godzilla and Mazinger figures. It’s good to see people embracing their inner geek at work!

I had some great chats with Chris and Sean Lin — the topic of choice? Anime, of course. Anya was a favorite, and I shared how my kids just finished Naruto and are now diving into Boruto. Always fun to find common ground in pop culture. ??

Before leaving, I also had the chance to meet the lovely ladies from HR, Finance, and the Interns group, led by Ms. YT. They were such a fun and welcoming bunch that I couldn’t resist snapping a pic with them. And in the spirit of fairness, I made sure to get the boys in the shot too. We gathered around the Kaia logo for a quick photo-op, which was the perfect way to say goodbye to the team before heading off on my next adventure.

Sorry for causing destruction there hehe

Later in the day, Soohyung (Eddie) Kim messaged me saying that Uno Lee (Kaia’s Chief Business Officer) wanted to meet up at Marina Bay Sands. Looking out the window, I thought, "Easy, I’ll just walk there." But... I forgot something important — the F1 event. The streets were blocked off, and what should’ve been a quick stroll turned into a detour that ate up more time than I’d planned. A helpful guard suggested I hop on the subway (first time for me in Singapore!), and applying my RPG problem-solving skills, I managed to navigate my way to the venue. Achievement unlocked! ??

I met up with Uno and Eddie at a coffee bar (I opted for sparkling water — heard the SG coffee is strong!), and this was my first time seeing Uno in person. I have to say, he looks even younger in real life! We talked shop, shared ideas, and even managed to squeeze in some small talk before they had to dash off for another meeting. Uno even gave me a cool Kaia bag tag — a nice addition to my body bag

After Token 2049: Kaia’s After-Party

Later that night, after wrapping up Token 2049, I headed to Kaia's after-event at a super posh neighborhood. Even though I arrived fashionably late, the place was still packed with energy. It was a great collaboration between Kaia and LINE NEXT Inc. , and of course, the talk of the night was all about games! ??

I finally got to meet Joaquin and Sergi from Blackmouth Games — connections I’d made on LinkedIn. We joked about how it was "destiny" that brought us together in person. The night went on with new connections and fun chats with people like Stephen from Monstercat , Beej (Pinoy Power) from Tencent, Larry from Hashkey, and the always-incredible Rai from Yup.GG. All conversations kept circling back to our shared passion: gaming.

Of course, I couldn’t miss the chance to hang out with the Kaia crew, like the ever-charismatic Paulo Caperig (who’s still a beast at these events!), the lovely Vanny (flying in from Vietnam), and the legend himself, John (don’t forget, you still owe me that Kaia shirt!). It was the perfect way to end the day — making connections, sharing laughs, and bonding over what we love most.

Stay tuned for my full recap of Day 1 of Token 2049 — coming soon!