- As we approach the end of the semester, we will explore the origin story of the one world’s most famous comedians, South African-born Trevor Noah. This week we’ll be reading pages 1-17 in his award-winning memoir. Who are some of your favorite comedians and why do you think comedy matters in the times we live in. - Some of my favorite comedians are Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, and Eddie Murphy. Especially in today's world, comedy is important, because it provides a way to deal with stress and difficult situations. It gives us new, more lighthearted perspectives on some of the more serious things in life. It brings people together and creates new grounds for discussion.
- THE BORING STUFF: Okay, if you’re going to dig into this memoir, it means understanding another country’s history. What was the “genius of apartheid” according to Trevor Noah? What are main differences between the Xhosa and the Zulu tribes? Why do you think Noah’s very birth was a “crime?” -The genius of Apartheid was that it caused people to turn against each other. Separating people and making them hate one another is what made it easy to run the population. The main difference between the Zulu and Xhosa was that the Zulu were prideful warriors. You could knock them down all you want, but they'd just get back up and keep fighting. Xhosa, on the other hand, were thinkers. They were negotiators who fought with words. Trevor Noah's birth was a "crime" because of his mixed heritage, because a white person wasn't allowed to to have a child with a person of color.
- On page five he writes, “I was nine years old when my mother threw me out of a moving car. It happened on a Sunday.” What do you eventually learn about the importance of religion for his family and the actual reason why he was thrown from a moving vehicle? How does he describe his relationship with his mother so far? -Religion is important to Noah's family. His mother took him to three churches every Sunday and seemingly believed that the more she went to church, the more blessings she'd receive, meaning the more prayers she'd have answered. The reason she pushed Noah out of the car was to protect him, herself, and Andrew from the men in the car threatening them. Trevor Noah's relationship with his mom is one that's deeply loving. His mom is willing to take extreme risks if it means her family will be safe in the end.
- How would you explain the magic of tacos to someone who’s never tried one before? What do you find striking about his experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoAU85wS1x0 (Warning *mild profanity used as part of this slice of life*) What do you look forward to finding out about another person’s experience as you continue to read? While his experience might be quite different from your own, how do you relate so far? -Tacos are one of the most versatile foods out there. They can be customized in almost any way you can imagine. Between the hard or soft shell, chicken, beef, or pork, the fresh vegetables and salsa and the many other toppings, you can't really go wrong with tacos. They're a true staple of Mexican cuisine. One thing that I found interesting about Trevor Noah's first experience with tacos is how foreign it seemed to him. Everything from the food, to the "napkins" was totally new to him, and I feel this really highlights how he's still dealing with social barriers today. He grew up very isolated from the rest of the world, and parts of that isolation are shown through his experience with tacos, being hesitant to try new things and being cynical with things he's not familiar with. So far, I don't really find myself relating to Trevor Noah's story. The closest connection we have is the important role of religion in our families. With Trevor Noah's experience, all I can do is look forward to reading a fresh perspective. So far, I realize how lucky I had it growing up in Europe and the U.S.
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