"Wah! Do you get to rub shoulders with Zoe Tay and Fann Wong?"

This was a common question from friends who got to know that I was on an internship at TCS. To most people, TCS equals stars galore and mingling with the rich and famous. But that is definitely not true - especially when I was working in the "serious" departments like News and Current Affairs.

But I got to meet stars  too - those of a totally different category : the more serious ones who front the nation's news and current affairs programmes.  I got to tap the minds of veteran broadcast journalists like Woon Liew , as well as split my sides with William Xavier's wisecracks. And of course, enjoyed the sardonic humour of Mr Sonny Lim of In Conversation fame. And hey, I got to see Jill Neubrohnner up close and personal…

Most people give me a look of pity when I tell them that I spent six months in the News and Current Affairs departments.  Again, this is all the workings of the great TCS myth that makes people think that everything other than showbiz is a bore.

Newsgathering at A.M. Singapore was a real push into reality as the irregular hours and demands of the job welcomed me to the joys of working life. Going on 'live', dealing with 'screw-ups', and chasing people around for a good sound bite, were all the thrills of working there. Dull moments were non-existent and hammering out scripts on the Basys system became second nature after a short while.

Working on a show that goes 'live' 365 days a year really made me realise the amount of effort that goes into every minute of the daily broadcast. What the audience doesn't see when they see the Queen Elizabeth II impostor or boy band Damage on TV, is the crew that wakes up at 3 am to give them the show…

After three months at A.M. Singapore, I hopped over into the world of Current Affairs at TCS where life was less harried. I was lucky to come under the auspices of presenter Sonny Lim who was the executive producer of  In Conversation.

The verbal ribaldry with the man himself was a real insight into the man who took second place in The New Paper's Flame Awards for Turnoff of the Year.  Listen folks - he is not a turnoff. In fact he was a great mentor who took the trouble to monitor the intern's progress and to make sure the intern learnt while working in his office.

And for those who really want to meet the movers and shakers of the world like Tung Chee Hwa and Nelson Mandela, In Conversation is a wonderful place to work in. But the show's not just about political animals, as writer of The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje and tennis player Michael Chang have also appeared on the show.

So for those who think that reporting News and Current Affairs can be boring, think again! What matters more is the attitude you bring with you during your internship and less about where you are working in.