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Standing out through stand-up comedy acts TANG
“M
y mom was actually the one who told me to come out and perform here,” sophomore and stand-up comedian Aakash Choudhary said during his act at the Coffeehouse Talent Show. “After my birth, I guess that would be her second mistake now.” Choudhary’s comedy acts elicit joy and laughter, but what his audience does not see is his strong mindset driven by previous failures. performance,” Choudhary said. “I did horrible — no one laughed. But I was really happy because I realized there was so much growth to be done and that I had such a long and fun journey ahead of me.” In sixth grade, Choudhary felt socially inferior stopped taking his negative feelings so seriously and explored new ways of standing out, eventually landing on stand-up comedy, an art introduced to him by his parents, who were big fans of Trevor Noah, a South African comedian. “I was just trying something that no one else wanted easier to win a game which no one else was playing.” Whether in a casual conversation or during a class presentation, laughter from others has always been the most gratifying sound to him. Choudhary’s biggest inspiration and supporter is his mom, Lakshmi Subramanian, who always encourages him to bring his talent to the public. Subramanian believes a of a live audience to receive feedback and learn from both
good and bad experiences. “Every show is different and not every show is going to be a good show so you’re going to learn from every time you perform,” Subramanian said. Throughout his day, Choudhary jots down jokes whenever they cross his mind. As a performance nears, he spends hours creating transitions from one joke to another until a full script is complete. “I think people underestimate the process of stand-up comedy,” act at the Coffeehouse Talent Show probably had six months worth of comedy inside of it, but hearing the audience laugh made it all worth it.” A barrier that many public speakers struggle to instilled in him since elementary school and his ability to turn failures into opportunities for growth have allowed him to unceasingly expand his comfort zone. “To combat stage fright I just think to myself, ‘If I mess up, so what? Nobody cares about my failures more than I do,’” Choudhary said. “Just be humble and know that you can fail.” In the future, Choudhary aspires to perform at comedy clubs to attain the full experience of being a stand-up comedian and sharpen his writing process. He hopes to work on lengthening his sets by focusing in on each joke to create longer, more developed segments. “Stand-up comedy is very therapeutic for me,” Choudhary said. “Even if I never perform live again, I’ll probably forever still be writing jokes. Even for sad things that happen in my life, writing about it just feels so good to me. Comedy is more than anything a way of self expression for me.”
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE CHIN
BY SAMIYA ANWAR
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indistinguishable from a gallon of Cookies and Cream ice cream from a local Safeway, a far better alternative to the twenty minute drive to Los Gatos where parking is extremely limited. The gelato was neither creamy nor
the shop recommended the Tiramisu, and it did not disappoint. The gelato was exceptionally authentic — both silky smooth and creamy. The Tiramisu was delicious, and the bitterness of the coffee perfectly balanced out the sweetness of the gelato.
elateria Bella Roma is located on Historic Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale. The shop has an extremely wide selection of
ocated in quaint Downtown Los Gatos, Dolce Spazio Gelato was a little too cozy — the tiny shop was cramped even though there were only a
recommend Dolce Spazio Gelato.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SAMIYA ANWAR
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found refreshing and perfect for summertime. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, and I could taste the fresh blueberries used in the recipe. The serving size was small and the gelato could have
choose one. I settled on dark chocolate, where I encountered a
ocated in Downtown Campbell, Snake does not specialize in gelato. A worker
worth it. While it didn’t blow my mind, the shop is still high on my list.
elato Classico Italian Ice Cream, located in Downtown Mountain View, served up by far the best gelato I’ve had to this day. The shop is easily found due to its colorful neon sign, which creates a bright ambience. Plastered on the wall are the numerous awards the shop holds, including Best of Mountain View 2019, enticing local and international customers. Boasting
Gloop drowning in a chocolate lake at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. This gelato was a spiritual experience and I will dream about it for nights to come.
