An exciting conversation with Jared, a regular with the Singapore Navy who pursued tertiary education degrees in Philosophy and Political Philosophy.

( Editors Note : Unfortunately, there were some technical difficulties which resulted in a loss of the original audio recorded post 1:25:10.

We at Cosmic Children blame the secret reptilian government, while Jared blames the creator of the simulation. Nevertheless, we hope you enjoy the conversation. )

' Why, What & How '

These were the three words that colored my conversation with Jared.

Jared speaks with excitable charisma on the topics of philosophy, religion and politics. Hes unabashed to distill important & difficult abstract concepts to digestible bits of information, oftentimes with a sense of candidness to his speech and actions.

A casual sitdown with Annalisa Yeo, a freelance actress.

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Annalisa's enthusiasm is infectious, and the passion for her craft shows throughout our conversation.

She speaks candidly on her process, and the steps leading up to her preparation for a role. It was particularly insightful to hear how she uniquely approaches the art of storytelling via acting, and her journey to being a freelance actress in Singapore.

An exchange of perspective with Sean Yap, a PHD student , teacher, field researcher , insect & passionate Pokemon enthusiast.

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Sean is a self-proclaimed Pokemon enthusiast: who in the Pokemon World imagines himself to be an early route Generation 1 Bug-catcher ♂ , leading the fight with a level 2 Caterpie, while having a level 100 Heracross in the backline.

The narrative through Pokemon, and his current work as a PHD student ( studing reproductive evolution in Southeast Asian Dung Beetles ) & field researcher are fascinating, and rather logical, considering the franchise's own history and creator, Satoshi Tajiri, citing bug collecting as a root source of inspiration for the series..

Sean is kinda living the dream right now: he (sort of) gets paid to collect his own poop to attract beetles, with the end goal of examining their horniness and the size of their balls.

Peppered between the talk about poop, he sheds light on his own perspective and thoughts on ecology and the vastness of the insect biodiversity in the world.

An illuminating sit down with a group of individuals who kick-started the independent movement, Life Beyond Grades.

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The folks behind the campaign, Life Beyond Grades, are a passionate bunch.

Having Charmaine, Derek, as well as Aarika ( three out of the five enthusiastic founders ), was a real treat. The energy they shared amongst each other was honestly, infectious.

The movement is an interesting product of the current paradigm: something that could've only gathered momentum in recent years, as the focus of education has arguably shifted, and the economy has reshuffled.

They speak from experience: having gone through the gauntlet of primary, secondary as well as tertiary education systems from both local and overseas institutions, they've developed an acute awareness of their learning habits, and consequentially being parents themselves, being open to adopt new ideas and mental models of teaching , parenting and being fluid in their own learning process.

Much was talked about and covered during the conversation, however with most things in life, it is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

An invigorating sit-down with fellow podcaster, The Financial Coconut.

Its clear upon first impressions that fellow podcaster , The Financial Coconut aka Reggie, is enthusiastic about his work.

Being Singapore's first financial literacy podcast, he believes in the mission of creating a life we love while managing our finances well, through the education of financial literacy via bite sized pieces, believing that personal finance can be chill , clear and sustainable for all.

Since its inception, his audience has grown into a vibrant community of personal finance enthusiasts

Our conversation touches on the nature of investment, and Reggie candidly speaks his mind on how one might be touching on the idea of investing in today’s saturated market of self-help gurus, DIY investing and other income scams.

Having learnt from his horrendous financial experiences : from being part of a financial scam to staying over in his teahouse just to penny-pinch, Reggie ignites a tsunami of personal finance questions waiting to be answered and discussed.

The birth of The Financial Coconut may have seemed like a random burst of energy, but the community and its collective inquisitiveness is what is him.

He has a wealth of knowledge on the matter, and I’m certain that we've only grazed the tip of it in this conversation.

A casual sit-down with illustration industry veteran, Mindflyer.

His passion for the arts show throughout our conversation : Michael Ng aka Mindflyer is a self-taught visual artist based in Singapore, having taken up various professions adjacent to what he’s doing today over the years, of which im sure on hindsight, has rounded out, or even enhanced his abilities as an illustrator today.

Having been creating art since 1989, his practice is embedded in concepts related to flight and escapism - infusing a mix of aeronautical forms, bright colours and a sprinkle of retro sci-fi and references to Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s "The Little Prince".

His determination is rivalled only by his curiosity towards life, of which he has kept and nurtured throughout the years.

He speaks on his own creative journey through the years, as well as the ever shifting landscape of the industry, and of having a profession in the creative arts.

A casual sit-down with Destin, currently a full time writer with Epicure Asia.

Destin is quite the character , and a self described foodie.

He exudes passion when talking about it, and the many nuances and intricacies that go along with the topic , ranging but not limited to - how something its prepared, what actually goes on behind the scenes in a kitchen, the hierarchy of a kitchen and how it functions, where your food comes from etc

Getting his start in the F&B industry through a part time job in a now defunct cafe, he moved on to The Culinary Institute of America ( Singapore ) and had a short stint in the kitchen of Michelin - starred eatery, Candlenut : his inquisitive nature serving him well, as he writes full-time for Epicure Asia currently through the lens of a former chef, the experience of which has coloured his perspective on food.

A casual sit-down with Shawn Toh, CEO of BatlleBrew Productions.

Shawn is a game changer - he exudes enthusiasm and knowledge throughout our conversation ; his journey saw him being part of various gaming studios and indie projects prior, but in recent years, has seized a foothold on the burgeoning mobile gaming market for himself, and through his company , BattleBrew Productions, a feisty crew of multi award winning game - makers hailing from Singapore.

Their latest win? Having their game ‘ BattleSky Brigade : Harpooner ‘ be part of the 100 game lineup when Apple Arcade’s first launch their service back in 2019.

Having established a foothold in Singapore and various surrounding markets, and with great ambition to grow their ideas both visually and commercially, Shawn isn’t one to shy away from challenges, and speaks forthrightly on the perils of working in the game industry as well.

Like all great protagonists, his head is shiny and reflective, and he holds both ramen and pasta in high regards.

An illuminating sit-down with advertising industry veteran , Peter Soh.

Peter’s name in the industry is nothing short of legendary : one which saw him starting his advertising career as a Traffic assistant, and through discovering Chinese copyrighting, the artform began guiding him down the road towards success in the early 1990s and beyond.

The next decade and a half would see Peter birthing forth the industry giant - TBWA Singapore we see today , being the recipient and judge of multiple awards and prestigious accolades in the field, as well as being headhunted by Saatchi & Saatchi to head their Shanghai office as their CEO and CCO in the early 2000s, just to name a few.

Peters career and life has been synonymous with Chinese, China, and the Chinese culture for the most part, being a big proponent of the Chinese culture, arts and language ( to name a few ) This conversation showcases his vigour and excitement when speaking about it.

Peter displays his wisdom, expertise and quirkiness throughout our conversation, a deeply passionate individual who is looking to give back to the following generations of creatives.

Randolph sits in for an conversation on his craft as a stylist, and waxes lyrical on his journey thus far