Finding a good language tutor is a tall order. Finding a good language tutor who is also queer and funny, and with whom you instantly vibe, is even tougher.
Noor Hamdi, a New York City–based actor and playwright, was, for me, the perfect Spanish tutor at the perfect time, during the COVID lockdown. Though he doesn’t tutor Spanish anymore, he (or they, depending on the day) does still give Arabic lessons. Hamdi also recently pulled off the New York premiere of their “one they” show, 2014, in December, so you should book a lesson while Hamdi still has time for them. The intimate solo show, in which Hamdi plays all five characters, showing their range, was inspired by a transformative and heartbreaking year in Hamdi’s life and tackles universal themes of grief, self-discovery and resilience, all while confronting societal taboos regarding introversion and solitude.
As a language tutor, Noor’s skills are equally impressive. Fluent or proficient in multiple languages, including Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Japanese, they love to help their students overcome the various challenges of language learning. Their aptitude for languages also enhances their travels, enabling them to forge deeper connections abroad. In that vein, Hamdi caught up with Pink Ticket Travel to share some tips on language learning as well as some insider tips on his favourite queer Brooklyn hotspots. Read on to find out how a couple of hours with a language tutor might make you a better traveller.
What challenges do your students face when learning languages, and how do you help them overcome these?
I think one of the biggest challenges is confidence and believing that you don’t know how to do something: you don’t know how to say this word or speak in this verb tense. My advice is that language takes a lot of time. Even when you’re an infant, it takes you years to be able to speak, you know? There are different parts of the brain. You might find, “I’m good at speaking, but I’m really bad at listening,” or vice versa. That doesn’t mean that you’re bad at the language. It just means that’s how your brain is working. That’s what it’s picking up.
Have your language skills ever led to particularly memorable travel experiences?
In Mexico City, I remember we were on this tour. The tour guide was a local and his English was really good. But I remember asking him after the tour, in Spanish, “What are some other things that we could do after the tour?” Because we were speaking Spanish, I felt like that helped him let his guard down a little more. He gave me insider tips and tricks, things you should do in Mexico City that you wouldn’t tell people who can only go to English-speaking places.
What’s one favourite off-the-beaten-path travel destination?
I was in Dartmouth, New Hampshire, for a week, doing a pretty cool theatre residency. One day, we went to a state park called the Flume Gorge, which was really cool. I think when people from a metropolitan area think, “I want to go into the woods and go hiking or camping,” there are specific countryside places they like to go, but New Hampshire doesn’t always cross people’s minds. But all year round, there are these beautiful trails, these awesome mountains. It’s very geographically diverse.
How has sobriety influenced your travel experiences?
Being sober allows me to save money while travelling. That’s definitely one benefit. But it’s like a double-edged sword. I used to smoke cigarettes, too. On the one hand, I have saved so much money. On the other hand, when I used to smoke cigarettes, I would meet so many people. So it can sometimes be harder to meet people, depending on what you’re doing.
What about back home? What’s your favourite restaurant in Brooklyn?
There’s a place in Cobble Hill called Nabila’s (248 Court St., Brooklyn, New York City). It’s a Lebanese place, very, very good, very much like your grandma’s kitchen—your aunt’s kitchen, your mom’s kitchen, your matriarch’s kitchen. They make the best Middle Eastern food I’ve had in the city, and as a Middle Eastern person, I really mean that. The staff is so friendly. It’s open late and they are always packed. You have to make a reservation.
What’s your favourite Brooklyn café?
Yafa Café (4415 4th Ave., Brooklyn, New York City) in Sunset Park. It’s owned by cousins. They have amazing Yemeni-style coffees and things, and they have really, really good breakfast and lunch options, too, like a lamb sandwich, but also fresh pastries and pour-overs. It has a friendly vibe—it feels like if you wanted to talk to somebody just randomly sitting there, you could, and they wouldn’t be upset.
Do you have a favourite gallery?
I don’t know if you can call it a gallery, it’s so unassuming, but Picture Room (117 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, New York City). You get there by going into the café next door, which has really good coffee and pastries. They also sell a lot of household goods, like tablecloths and linens and plates and cups, things like that, which is kind of fun. But then you get to Picture Room, which is literally a room where local artists put up their work. I really like it because it is for smaller local artists, and I feel like in going there, you get to know what kind of art people in your own community are making.
For someone visiting New York City for the first time who wants a great view of the Manhattan skyline, where’s your secret spot?
Sunset Park, because the park is on a hill. And Greenwood Cemetery, to be honest, because it is also the highest point in Brooklyn. From that particular vantage point, you get a really good view of Fi Di [the Financial District] and lower Manhattan. You can see the Empire State Building and everything.
Any upcoming travel that you’re looking forward to?
I’m going to Japan soon. I love the architecture of the period buildings there, a lot of the palaces and the castles. I’m really big into architecture and I would love to see so many of those places, because everything is so purposely beautiful. I just can’t wait to see it in person as opposed to in pictures or screensavers.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
