Holidays and GCU are exact opposites J but GOD was kind to us this time. 9^th Feb was the start of our second semester J “another hell ride” as we put it. But luckily this time in the beginning due to the sports week at GCU we enjoyed our days off. Coming back to campus today, was even more motivational, because today it was UNILEVERS talent hunt kind of CAMPUS DRIVEJ, from where they select the summer interns as well as management trainee officers.

It sure was a lot of fun. The presentations given were great. Then the test took place. Unfortunately I could not complete it and felt a lot bad for it. But still somewhere inside I was praying to be selected for the interview. After the tests, to calm down and relax the atmosphere they had arranged refreshments. They had even put up Knorr Soup, Lipton Tea and Blueband Margarine Stalls and they were giving away stuff for freeJ. No wonder we loved it beyond expression J

At 11:30 started a short skill building seminar and the speaker was Rahila Narejo. I can’t put into words how great she was. She kept the audience engaged, through out. Nobody of us lost track of anything she said. And I believe that’s truly remarkable. That one and a half hour seminar helped us in truly understanding our personality traits. It was all about BRANDING ourselves. And it really helped everybody. Towards the end of the seminar, short UNILEVER dairies were distributed, and through a lucky draw session 10 gift hampers were also distributed. Then the scary part began, the short listed people were to be announced. I was sitting with my fingers crossed. The first name they took was “Javaria Lodhi”, and I just couldn’t believe my ears. But there was it my name and I had made it with the blessing of the ONE above, always showering me with His countless blessings. For summer interns, I, Wahab, Tehmina and Fasiha got short listed. We gave our interviews later on and now we are again all “question mark” because they said that the results would be announced on 1^st of March. So it’s going to be a long wait.

God knows what happens next, but I am really thankful that I at least got a chance to clear the test and appear in the interview. Not to forget the experience of MOCK INTERVIEWS in first semester helped me a lot. I somewhat knew the Dos and Donts. And if my interview was any better, it was all because of that session.

I don’t know what more is to come my way, but the feeling of being able to stand out well, helps me sleep comfortably in the night J and trust me it feels GREAT J

I had my fingers crossed when I entered the class with all the things planned in my mind regarding presentation. I am glad I got things right to some extent. AlhamdulillahJ

Sir Shahzeb’s comment on my presentation made my day. He said and I quote “that’s exactly what I had in mind; this is thinking out of the box” J J J yippee… feels great. I hope my mind keeps on working like this.

Although it’s a cliché but that’s what fits here, all is well that ends well. It really felt great to make him happy on our last day together. He has been a teacher who has always kept me going. “Thanks” is just a small word for everything he has taught me. I hope as a student I live up to his expectations.

If you are reading Sir, I just want to say “thank you so much”. Business Communication in first semester and this Skill Building Term has been a lot of fun because of you.

Today was a great day for all of us. We did not watch apprentice. But truly I believe we watched things better than that. Today was the day when all of us showed our creations, the most awaited DOCUMENTARIES… Every documentary was superb in its own way. As the topics were different so I don’t think there was any comparison. But yes, it really was great to see so many talented brains working so creatively. I believe our class is full of brilliant minds J right folks?

I am glad Sir Shahzeb liked everybody’s work. It really will be a memorable thing for me, for a long time. Although we are not media students but at least in our capacities we all did a great job and the hard work has really paid off.

I want to thank Sir Shahzeb for making us do this task and then my class fellows, who came up with such brilliant ideas that made this day a terrific one.

Today I finally know the Apprentice of season 6. God… it feels such a relief knowing that. It has always been like bubbles in the stomach to think over and over again, comparing one participant with another.

 Steffani was “The Apprentice”, and I must say, she really deserved it. I stand by Donald Trumps in his decision. She was not only talented, smart but extremely well versed. She just seemed to know when to say what and exactly how to say it. She truly had the most effective communication skills among all the candidates. And today it was proved that communication makes a huge difference.

I wish someday I get to be as good in communication skills as she has been through out the Apprentice, ‘cause that’s what I know of her.

Apart from Apprentice, today a lot of things were discussed in the class. I the so-called spokesperson of the class brought things in to attention and had to pay a huge price by having Sir Shahzeb saying that he thought that I aggravate things in the class. I was truly embarrassed. I mean why in the world would I do such a thing? What possibly can I get? I mean he is my teacher, somebody I solemnly respect and admire, why would I do anything to let him down. I never will. As soon as the class finished I rushed to him to know why I did so and I hope he understood. I just raised the point that the class felt so closely. I was just being the voice of the class. 

Today everybody was all messed up and scared, after all tomorrow is the big day for everybody. And so for me and my team. Our efforts are going to be graded and judged. I just hope and pray that the efforts everybody has made, make Sir Shahzeb really happy.

Some of us including me, missed 2 consecutive classes and came got Sir Shahzeb pretty angry with us. He gave a report to write, asked about the status of “book review” presentation so far and lots of other stuff. His anger literally showed. So in order to make up for my absence I submitted my complete report today, (Wednesday) instead of tomorrow. After all with all due respect He is a teacher and I would never want him to be angry with me. So I am hoping he would not be angry anymore. I am just thinking that if our documentary is not up to his expectations, he is going to chop me down. As I am the project manager so I hope I manage to save my tail J and not get fired by him on freaky Friday J.

Today we watched one and a half episode of Apprentice. Now we are just half episode away from the last episode. It’s the grand episode awaited by all since day 1. Anyway, talking of today, both Heidi and Kristine got fired. I really wanted her to be the apprentice. It’s my bias I believe. I really like her for her skills actually. But today I was really disappointed, I mean the way she fumbled up in the presentation, she just blew everything off and the brochure was terrible. I am sure Heidi must have been true in saying that it was the most pathetic and shameful task performance by her. On the other side Kristine got fired as well. She made the most unforgiveable sin of not putting the right number on the brochure, which truly is a killer to a good reputation. James was quite right in saying that both the other teams, Frank and Heidi and Kristine and Nicole gave hideous presentations. They did not look professionals by near or far. I was truly disappointed myself.

The only thing I loved was Kristine’s honesty, while going back she admitted that she voluntarily teamed up with Nicole to beat Heidi ad apologized as well. I think it was really nice of her; it takes guts to look somebody in the eye and admit such a thing. After all honesty is the best policy. Heidi was also pretty mature in not creating a fuss laughing it off.

Probably, that’s what is expected of decent professionals, a complete solid professional behavior. But yes, I would have loved it big time if Heidi had become the Apprentice. Had she performed well she could have got it, but it is a lesson for all of us that with good name comes great responsibility as well. Whosoever performs it well, wins away everything.

Now that Apprentice has reached to an end, it has become more interesting. After all day by day the hype for getting to know the Apprentice is increasing so it’s like sheer excitement to get to watch it. Although I missed the class today but thank God I had the DVD at home. So I watched it peacefully. Tim got fired today. Fair decision, I must say, but only to the extent that he came up with a lame idea. The whole discussion of him being disloyal seemed pretty out of place. I mean the other task they won immediately after Nicole left, was not taken into regard at all. And then again I’ll say that the project manager who is the ultimate authority is not satisfied with the idea, should make use of his/her executive authority. I mean what’s the point of lamenting over it later on when you are at the losing end?

But I guess luck was no more with him so he had to go.

Being a project manager, I have to look in to the details of making sure that the tasks delegated are done on time and the way I want them to be done. It’s hard and tiring, but rewarding as well. And that’s what drives me. The respect, the appreciation and regard the team members give you is worth the effort.

I have been the team lead many times before but this time it feels different and good as well. I have a good team, that’s totally united. We jell well properly. All of us complement each other. And what’s great is that everybody has an objective approach towards the task assigned. We know what we want and how to materialize it in front of ourselves. This experience of making a 10 minute documentary is teaching all of us a lot. It’s like an extensive and intensive media course. Although we see such things every day on television, but experiencing our own thoughts and ideas converted in to real pictures through technology feels larger than life. It’s pretty amazing and truly exciting.

I believe this task has helped us all to discover an entirely new side of ourselves. I am glad we got the chance to do so.

Documentary phobia is all over our class. Everybody is putting their best into this task assigned. Of course, losing is just not the right cup of tea for anybody. So people are trying to pull it off with a huge difference. Scripting, plotting, story board, it’s so much fun. It’s amazing to use new softwares, new tools and converting your thoughts into reality. It’s just like painting the scene the way we see it.  The experience no wonderful is too good. Conducting general public interviews is as difficult a task as it seems easy. People try to shell themselves; they don’t tell you the right thing and all that. Still everybody is trying their best to come up with something that seems real and life like. It’s exciting doing something entirely new. Yes, I’d love to win, I hope we really do (who does not, right?) after all, my team members are putting in their 100%, I would definitely want to see them rewarded. The least I want is that people, who watch it, like it. They don’t feel their 10 minutes wasted. I hope my team comes up with something wonderful

Earlier in the day, we were shown a video clip on time management. It was informative. But later on we were made to watch 12 Angry Men, an oldy goldy movie. I tried to make myself watch it, but I just couldn’t help getting myself out of the room. It was more than I could take probably. I don’t like watching slow movies, even if they are of my favorite actor/actress. I just can’t seem to adjust the turtle pace. If I have to give my time to an entertainer, it’s got to be something really good. 12 Angry Men, no doubt is a great managerial kind of movie, but I believe, my anticipation turned out to be pretty opposite, so I just couldn’t make myself sit and watch it.

In Communication’s class it was fun today, we watched two episodes of Apprentice in a row. Saw Muna and Angela being fired because they were the weakest link in the tasks assigned. The way Muna left, saying a friendly goodbye to everybody I truly appreciate it. I loved her faith in God. I found Kristine so short sighted by saying that Donald Trump has to make a decision in the board room not the ONE above. Probably she forgot that one way or the other, it’s God who reigns everywhere. Muna had a positive attitude towards team work and I am sure it will help her play a good role somewhere. After all being Apprentice is not like the only ultimate peace giver position. Angela, was heartbroken to leave, but she had to, after all team leader has to sometimes make executive decisions for the team to make sure that it comes up with flying colors in the end. Donald Trump even gave her a chance to fight her case, but then when the flaw is at the project manager’s end, it’s hard to escape it. It surely was quite evident to see how truly Donald Trump admired Angela being one of the contestants for the job. But the right decision had to be made, and so he made one.

Surya was fired, had to be. He was not only annoying people on board, but somehow me too. I was completely irritated by his inability to see people expressions. I mean how can you just close your eyes to the world around you and say that the task went well when the audience is not even corresponding?