What happens when complex cities meet curious minds? Starting with this simple question, Curiocities explores the work of 10 personalities whose careers have taken them places and introduced them to diverse peoples and practices.Whether through their work in fields like diplomacy, research and media or through their creative projects as novelists, travel writers and photographers, they show compellingly how sparks fly when complex cities meet curious minds.For all 10 individuals, it is their sense of curiosity and their willingness to embrace the complexities of peoples, places and practices that have helped them not only survive but thrive. All 10 have the added edge of recording their experiences in writing as, to quote renowned travel writer Pico Iyer, 'a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love'.

What happens when complex cities meet curious minds? Starting with this simple question, Curiocities explores the work of 10 personalities whose careers have taken them places and introduced them to diverse peoples and practices.Whether through their work in fields like diplomacy, research and media or through their creative projects as novelists, travel writers and photographers, they show compellingly how sparks fly when complex cities meet curious minds.For all 10 individuals, it is their sense of curiosity and their willingness to embrace the complexities of peoples, places and practices that have helped them not only survive but thrive. All 10 have the added edge of recording their experiences in writing as, to quote renowned travel writer Pico Iyer, 'a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love'.

Starting with the belief that learning goes way beyond the classroom, COMversations highlights some of Singapore's top media professionals from print, radio, TV, and social media as they share their communication journeys.Stories from practitioners: Each chapter goes deep in conversation with Chua Chin Hon, Colette Wong, Divian Nair, Nicholas Fang, Edwin Chan, Jill Neubronner, Arlina Arshad, and Alan Soon. Each brings with them years of industry experience from their time in places such as SPH, MediaCorp, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC and Fox Sports Asia, capturing for us lessons that are best gleaned from being 'out there' in the trenches. These lessons will bring to life the theories that are taught in communication classes.They offer practical tips on communication conveyed through stories. One, when tasked to serve as moderator for an in-conversation style interview with Barack Obama, took the effort to work on the little details that would help him break the ice with the former US President, including refurbishing a watch. Another, eyeing a job with CNN after years with Channel News Asia, was told by the international broadcaster, 'Fly to London for the interview and we will give you 5 minutes to impress us'. Yet another, who works as a foreign correspondent based in Jakarta, regales us with tales of journalistic enterprise, including one on how a free car ride in Iran led to a glimpse into the conservative society's underground dance party.This book also includes a special feature with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, who shares his communication style in a range of contexts with students from Nanyang Business School at NTU.

Starting with the belief that learning goes way beyond the classroom, COMversations highlights some of Singapore's top media professionals from print, radio, TV, and social media as they share their communication journeys.Stories from practitioners: Each chapter goes deep in conversation with Chua Chin Hon, Colette Wong, Divian Nair, Nicholas Fang, Edwin Chan, Jill Neubronner, Arlina Arshad, and Alan Soon. Each brings with them years of industry experience from their time in places such as SPH, MediaCorp, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC and Fox Sports Asia, capturing for us lessons that are best gleaned from being 'out there' in the trenches. These lessons will bring to life the theories that are taught in communication classes.They offer practical tips on communication conveyed through stories. One, when tasked to serve as moderator for an in-conversation style interview with Barack Obama, took the effort to work on the little details that would help him break the ice with the former US President, including refurbishing a watch. Another, eyeing a job with CNN after years with Channel News Asia, was told by the international broadcaster, 'Fly to London for the interview and we will give you 5 minutes to impress us'. Yet another, who works as a foreign correspondent based in Jakarta, regales us with tales of journalistic enterprise, including one on how a free car ride in Iran led to a glimpse into the conservative society's underground dance party.This book also includes a special feature with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, who shares his communication style in a range of contexts with students from Nanyang Business School at NTU.