funniest moment of the day (month/year?).

Today I got a phone call from a magazine fact-checker. It’s for an article having to do w/ex-reality TV people… Him: spell your name (me): S-u-r-y-a Y-a-l-a-m as in monkey-a-n as in nancy-c-h-i-l-i him: can you confirm that you were on the TV show, The Apprentice? me: yes. him: can you confirm it was Apprentice […]

simple stories. and simple people.

I want to share a musing on The Apprentice because it ties in nicely with a personal reflection that’s been in my thoughts a lot lately. I’m still amazed at how similar main elements from The Apprentice are to every day life. The Apprentice was all about simplicity. I’m not talking about the tasks, but […]

Surya on The Apprentice: how it all began.

How did I end up on The Apprentice? This story is as interesting as anything that came after. It’s the first Thursday in the eighth month of 2004 in Cincinnati. I’d been working and living in Ohio for a little over a year and had just stumbled upon a newspaper article mentioning that the hottest […]

europe!

So: I saw Europe. Or 4 amazing cities in Europe anyway: Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, and Paris. And they were…amazing! Part of the reason I wanted to take this trip is because almost exactly a year ago, I was filming The Apprentice. I left for LA at the end of May last year and got back […]

answering a ? no one asked.

I’ve now been through my fair-share of interviews. They’re actually a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed them so much, that I’m now going to answer some questions that I haven’t been asked – but wish I was. Or maybe this is all just pretense for a random blog entry. Either way: Q: Can you name […]

my turn: on apprentice fan culture.

Part of the bargain of being on TV is being out there for “public consumption.” And consume the public does. It’s a trip digesting everything directed your way: the public’s judgment, leaps of logic, mocking, and even undue praise. Whereas once confined to living room discussion or the water cooler, the Internet puts all these […]

this isn’t that hard.

It’s raining in Cincinnati, and after spending all day in a spreadsheet, I’m kind of cranky. So this is a quick entry. For the past 2 weeks, a very interesting phenomenon has occurred. And by “interesting,” I actually mean “terribly annoying.” Strangers constantly come up to me and call me “Sanjaya.” You know, that kid […]

The Apprentice: my favorite memory.

What was my favorite memory from The Apprentice? There were actually quite a few moments where I caught myself thinking: Is this really happening?  I was just asked this question on a radio interview a few weeks ago. Once I spoke the answer, I knew that it wasn’t just for the radio audience, it was […]

The Apprentice: looking at circumstance & outcomes.

I’ve got a series of thoughts on the Apprentice that focus more on my emotional reaction towards the other contestants. I don’t want to write about any of that stuff for at least a year,  until I have more distance with time. But a frequent question I’m asked is around regrets and how I view […]

my debrief on the apprentice…

An Introduction I want to start by thanking my friends and family. I couldn’t ask for better. Frankly, you’re all better than I deserve. Your kind words of support (and your anger at your TV’s!) have helped me escape this bizarre experience relatively sane (or as sane as before anyway). I write this for a […]