This month is proving to be a busy one as there are quite a lot of M activities that appeal to these ABC Sisters.

2 points – Moroccan Restaurant

We have had various types of Mediterranean food and love it, but never anything specifically Moroccan. Lucky for us there’s a great restaurant in Dallas to introduce us to this cuisine. Medina Oven & Bar on Victory Park Lane was a gem. The ambiance, with its couches and pillows in bright colors and the music playing in the background, added to the experience but it was the food that won us over.

We split two dishes: Moroccan Beef Cigars and Moroccan Kafka Kabobs. Both were excellent and we definitely will be putting this restaurant on our “we want More” list.

2 points – Geometric and Madi Museum

We decided to visit some unusual museums for “M” month. You’d be surprised at what comes up when you Google “unusual museums in (your city)”. We had never heard of Madi art so we were intrigued. Madi stands for Movement, Abstraction, Dimension and Invention. All the Madi art pieces have items that come out of the piece and are three dimensional. The art was quite beautiful but one of the best things about this museum is Spencer, an extremely knowledgeable and personable tour guide. He taught us the difference between geometric and Madi art (geometric is two dimensional and has shapes such as circles, squares, etc. in it, while the Madi art has parts that stick out). Plus, he knew the history of all the artists whose work was displayed and was obviously enjoying giving tours, especially to children. The museum is free and we were more than happy to give a donation.

The museum and restaurant were in close proximity so it made for a Marvelous afternoon outing.

2 points – Movie Theme: Masculinity

When we were deciding on an “M” theme for a movie this month, we were both immediately drawn in by the synopsis of filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s 2015 documentary “The Mask You Live In.” This film presents a fascinating but alarming look at the influences on boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while adhering to society’s expectations surrounding masculinity. On any given day, they are encouraged to push down their true emotions and never cry or look fearful. Friendships are devalued, women are objectified, and violence is sanctioned as a “masculine” way to deal with conflicts. We’ve all heard or seen boys being told to “be a man”, “grow a pair” and “don’t be a sissy” – or phrases similar but more graphic. This documentary contains a lot of frank discussion and dialogue and presents statistics throughout that are alarming and depressing. You can’t help but be affected by this film and left to reflect on certain memories regarding the boys and men in your life.  Although you can argue that this movie tries to cover too much ground, it is still better to raise our consciousness on this topic and embrace some societal changes than to turn a blind eye. Our boys and men deserve to wear their true face…not a mask.