Matador Network's Blog, page 866

Commander’s Palace to deliver

Delivery has become a common service in restaurants around the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the practice is usually confined to the local area. So, if you’re locked down in a city without any good restaurant options, you’re pretty much out of luck. One New Orleans restaurant, however, wants to make its dishes available nationwide. The famous Commander’s Palace will start shipping its food right to your door, no matter where you live.

Commander’s Palace is famous for its Creole cuisine — particularly the turtle soup — and has been home to chefs like Emril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme. Now, the restaurant has partnered with the Goldbelly food delivery service and will soon begin shipping nationwide.

By visiting the Commander’s Palace page on Goldbelly’s website, you’ll be able to order the famous turtle soup in two-quart quantities for $89, a spiced sugarcane lacquered quail kit for $99, and a pecan pie dessert for $39. If you can’t decide and would prefer to get the full flavor of the restaurant’s menu, there’s a three-course dinner for two ($179) and for four ($299). It includes cheesy garlic bread, soup, spiced sugarcane-lacquered quail, bacon-braised cabbage, and pecan pie.

Each package comes with step-by-step instructions for preparing the frozen dishes, and even how to store the leftovers — but we doubt you’ll have any.


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Indoor attractions in Milwaukee

Milwaukee might not be the first place to come to mind when planning a weekend of museum and market hopping, but not going means missing out on a cultural hub of the American Midwest. Milwaukee is often overshadowed by its nearby neighbor Chicago, but Wisconsin’s largest city is a standout in its own right. Despite wicked winter weather, it’s a historically rich city, and there’s no shortage of good beer, cool art, and unique things to see and do to boot. Don’t let Milwaukee’s notorious winters scare you from planning a trip — there’s plenty to do indoors, away from the wind and snow.

1. Miller Brewery Tour (and a post-tour pint)

Photo: The Miller Brewery Tour/Facebook

For just $10, you can take an 80-minute guided tour of the Miller Brewery that includes a souvenir pint glass and a number of beer tastings. The brewery tour gives travelers a real sense of the history of Miller beer in Milwaukee and a look at how it’s made today with modern brewing technologies. There is a brief walking bit that will require you to go outside, so winter guests should bring layers to bundle up. Of course, there’s plenty of beer to sample. Should you be inspired for a post-tour pint, take State Street downtown to the Milwaukee Brat House, a beer garden that’s as reminiscent of the spirit of Oktoberfest as you’ll find this side of the Atlantic.

Where: 4251 W State St, Milwaukee, WI 53208

2. Milwaukee Art Museum

Photo: Checubus/Shutterstock

The Milwaukee Art Museum, commonly referred to as MAM, is one of the most interesting pieces of modern architecture in the city. The admission is a steep $19 though there’s a $2 discount for military members and students, which is inclusive to all of the museum’s exhibits. MAM celebrates American painters, German modern art, and European masterworks alike. The highlight for travelers will, no doubt, be the historic portraits of downtown Milwaukee that give you a visual of what the city looked like during its evolution from its 1846 founding to the metropolis it is today. After walking the halls, enjoy the snacks and dining menu at Café Calatrava, the museum’s eatery.

Where: 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202

3. The Domes at Mitchell Park Conservatory

Photo: Joe Ferrer/Shutterstock

For a great photo opportunity in Milwaukee, the Domes at Mitchell Park Conservatory are the spot. These giant glass domes, formally known as the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, allow visitors to stroll around both desert and jungle ecosystems. The Floral Dome alone features more than 1,200 species of rainforest plants and flowers. The domes are extremely photogenic from both the inside and the outside and showcase everything from succulents to massive Venus flytrap. Don’t miss out on the domes no matter what time of year you visit — they’re open every single day, and the shots you took in spring will look totally different come November. Visit weekdays between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM and before 4:00 PM on weekends. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids.

Where: 524 S Layton Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53215

4. Harley Davidson Museum

Photo: Paulo Nabas/Shutterstock

The modern motorcycle scene as we know it started along the banks of the Milwaukee River more than 100 years ago. Harley Davidson, the iconic brand of “hogs,” was founded in central Milwaukee in 1903. The name, logo, and lifestyle have since become American cultural icons, and a visit to the museum to learn about how it got started is worth it whether or not you’re a motorcycle enthusiast. There are over 450 motorcycles and memorabilia on display in the 20-acre museum campus that lies, as its legend, right along the riverfront. A fanatic can easily spend three or more hours in the museum pouring over every plaque, but for more casual visitors, an hour or two should suffice. The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in summer and switches to a 10:00 AM opening time from October to April. Admission is $22.

Where: 400 W Canal St, Milwaukee, WI 53201

5. Jewish Museum Milwaukee

Photo: Jewish Museum Milwaukee/Facebook

Southeastern Wisconsin has a large and long-established Jewish community. The Jewish Museum Milwaukee celebrates that community through interactive exhibits. Some focus on the Jewish faith, others on religious traditions, and visitors will also learn about the persecution of Jews throughout history. Temporary and traveling exhibits are shown on a regular basis, though one must-see no matter when you visit is the documentary on local Holocaust survivors speaking about their experiences. The overall museum experience is uplifting and highlights the critical role Milwaukee’s Jewish community has played in building the city as it is today, from a cultural standpoint as well as historical.

Where: 1360 N Prospect Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202

6. Milwaukee Public Market

Photo: f11photo/Shutterstock

Similar to Seattle’s Pike Place (its signage is nearly identical), the Milwaukee Public Market is brimming with ethnic products and fresh, artisan foods on sale from independent and local vendors. The best part is that it’s all indoors, meaning you can visit any time of year without worry of a freeze-out or blizzard. This market doubles as a great place to shop for trip souvenirs at Brew City Brand Apparel and is a fantastic spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. As it’s Milwaukee, there’s a brew patio to enjoy a pint under the summer sun and a dessert bakery for a post-meal treat. Perhaps the coolest thing about the market is the demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes offered by various food stalls teaching techniques and recipes spanning the continental United States and beyond (the Cinco de Mayo Cuisine class is particularly tasty).

Where: 400 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202

7. Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear

Photo: Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear/Facebook

Visiting the middle of the United States, it seems appropriate to experience a bit of America’s past — the time before the term “Rust Belt” came into existence. The Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear is an ideal place to do so. Run by a nonprofit organization in a historic building west of the Milwaukee River, the museum is anchored by Avrum Chudnow’s collection of early 20th-century Americana displayed in a diverse collection of exhibits. Some highlight memorabilia like children’s toys and household items from the 1920s and ‘30s. Others feature the facade of an old grocery and movie theater. Don’t leave without taking a photo of the 1930 Chevrolet on site, which was found in a local barn in 2013 and dubbed “The Greatest Chevrolet in History.” The museum also streams several old Midwest-centric films on its website, giving you the opportunity to brush up on the prohibition era and its preceding years in order to better understand what you’re looking at.

Where: 839 N 11th St, Milwaukee, WI 53233


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Orbitz free hotel giveaway May 5

You’ve been staying at home for a while. You deserve some time away as soon as you can safely do so.

This, at least, is the message from online travel platform Orbtiz, which is offering $100 toward future hotel stays for rewards program members who have moved their lives to their living rooms. Beginning Tuesday, May 5, at 12:01 Central Time, Orbitz rewards members can log on to the site, fill out a short questionnaire about how much they’ve stayed at home, and get $100 in “Orbucks” towards a hotel booking later this year.

It may be the first time a rewards program has rewarded customers for intentionally not buying anything.

“While we’d normally reward our members for going places, this extraordinary situation calls for us all to stay home as much as we can,” says Carey Malloy, Orbitz Brand Director. “So… we’re rewarding you for going nowhere.”

Cashing in is pretty simple. Just log into Orbitz using your Orbitz account (or sign up for one if you don’t have it), go to Orbitz.com/stayhome, and open up the questionnaire. You’ll be asked about how often you did stuff like virtual happy hours, worked out at home, binged TV shows, and how many days you’ve stayed home completely.

Once you’ve finished the survey, you’ll be rewarded with $100 “Orbucks” — like the Disney Dollars of Orbitz — to use toward a hotel stay between now and November 5, 2020.

“I’m looking forward to the day we can all travel again,” says Malloy. “But since no one knows exactly when and where that will be just yet, we’re giving people time to plan. [But] I also recommend investing that $100 Orbucks in hotels with free cancellation just in case.”

The catch, of course, is that it’s only open to the first 1,000 people to log on. And the fun kicks off at 12:01 AM Central Time Tuesday morning. So that means 10:00 PM Monday night for you West Coast people, and remember to pause your 1:00 AM binge of Waco if you’re on the East Coast. If you’re in Hawaii, you’ll be booking at sunset.

So get your survey-answering fingers ready, America. Time it right and you just might earn a free night or two away from home after spending so much time in yours.


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The post Orbitz is giving away $100 in hotel stays to 1,000 people tonight appeared first on Matador Network.

Arrested camping on Disney island

It’s the most tried and true excuse out of the trespasser’s handbook: “I didn’t know I was trespassing.” That was roughly the excuse of this Alabama man who was arrested last Thursday for camping out at Walt Disney World’s Discovery Island (originally called Treasure Island).

According to the arrest report, the man “stated that he had made entry to the island to go camping on Monday or Tuesday and had planned on staying on the island for approximately one week.”

To his credit, a deserted Disney island sounds very appealing, but the authorities weren’t exactly amused. On Thursday morning, he was spotted by Orange County Marine deputies and warned via loudspeaker that he wasn’t allowed on the island. According to him, he didn’t hear the warning or even the sounds of the people in boats, helicopters, and on foot looking for him because he had been asleep in one of the island’s buildings and believed the place was a “tropical paradise” — not private property.

Once apprehended, he was charged with a misdemeanor of trespassing on posted property and has a court hearing scheduled for June.

Disney World and Disneyland parks have been closed since the middle of March, and unfortunately, even when it opens again, the man won’t be allowed to enter any Disney properties.


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The post Man arrested for camping on a Disney island thought he was in a ‘tropical paradise’ appeared first on Matador Network.

Newly found microbe prevents malaria

Scientists are tirelessly working on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, but that does not mean research against other deadly diseases has stopped.

A research team in Kenya and the UK has discovered a way to protect mosquitoes from being infected by malaria, thereby preventing them from becoming carriers of the disease and infecting people. The new discovery is rooted in a malaria-blocking microbe called Microsporidia MB, which was discovered in the guts and genitals of mosquitoes studied on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya.

Of the mosquitoes carrying the microbe, not a single one was found to be carrying the malaria parasite. Further study revealed that the microbe did, in fact, give mosquitoes protection from the disease.

Dr. Jeremy Herren, of the International Center of Insects Physiology and Ecology in Kenya, told the BBC, “The data we have so far suggest it is 100% blockage, it’s a very severe blockage of malaria. It will come as quite a surprise. I think people will find that a real big breakthrough.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were about 228 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2018 and 405,000 people died, mostly children in Africa.

The microbe is either believed to boost a mosquito’s immune system, enabling it to fight off malaria, or have effects on the insect’s metabolism, making it inhospitable to the malaria parasite.

Microsporidia MB was only naturally found in five percent of insects studied, and 40 percent of mosquitos in a given region would need to be infected with the microbe to have any real impact on the spread of malaria. Now, researchers are exploring ways to infect as many mosquitoes with the microbe as possible.

One proposed method is releasing microsporidia spores on a large scale in a region, in hopes of infecting a large mosquito population. Another avenue would be infecting male mosquitos in a lab, and then releasing them into the wild to infect females during mating.

According to Professor Steven Sinkins of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, “It’s a new discovery. We are very excited by its potential for malaria control. It has enormous potential.”


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Therapy alpacas at CA nursing home

The COVID-19 pandemic is making it impossible for families and friends to visit their loved ones in nursing homes, meaning most family interactions must take place digitally or from behind windows. This is contributing to the already serious loneliness many nursing home patients experience, so facilities are looking for ways to creatively and safely improve the morale of their elderly residents. On April 29, 2020, in Poway, California, the Boulder Creek Post Acute assisted living center brightened up residents’ day in a big way by bringing in two special animal visitors.

Photo: Helen Woodward Animal Center/Youtube

In partnership with the Helen Woodward Animal Center, the assisted living center brought in a pair of alpacas to visit with residents. The animals, part of the animal center’s Pet Encounter Therapy Program, and are named Kronk and Kuzco after the Disney film The Emperor’s New Groove. While seniors are usually able to pet and cuddle with the dogs, bunnies, cats, and other animals as part of the program, given the circumstances, the alpaca visit took place through the window of a dining hall.

Program manager Robin Cohen said in a press release, “In the many years I have worked with this program, I have seen the unique gifts each animal can bring to this type of therapy […] These alpacas are some of our funniest characters. They make us laugh every day, and we knew they’d be the perfect key to inspiring smiles right now.”

The visit was so popular with residents that a follow-up is already being planned.

“The one thing I know from my work,” said Cohen, “is that animals have a magical way of healing.”


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The post Therapy alpacas bring joy to California nursing home during the pandemic appeared first on Matador Network.

Phoenix light rail trip planner

Phoenix is a sprawling city. A zigzag of freeways loop through and around the desert metropolis, and it’s all too easy to spend more time driving, not to mention parking and fighting over directions, than doing. Sure, there’s Uber and Lyft, but all those rideshares can add up fast. Enter the Valley Metro Rail, a 26-mile ride that stretches from central Phoenix to Tempe and downtown Mesa, past hip hangouts, playful boutiques, rave-worthy restaurants, underground bars, and even a lake. The line takes around 85 minutes to ride from start to finish and costs only $4 for an all-day pass. So hop on and hit all the best stops, sans car.

1. Book it to Bookmans.

Nearest light rail stop: Northern/19th Avenue

It’s easy to get lost in Bookmans. The neighborhood book fixture carries shelf after shelf of used books, plus gifts, CDs, classic video games, magazines, manga, musical instruments, toys, and treasures. This is a place to browse, cozy up, catch a Super Smash Bros. tournament, and find that out-of-print cookbook you’ve been looking for.

2. Score indie finds at Frances and Stinkweeds.

Photo: Frances/Facebook

Nearest light rail stop: Central Avenue/Camelback

It’s not often you can score gin blossoms on vinyl and right next door find cactus earrings made by a local artist. Both Stinkweeds and Frances are finds, something that in-the-know locals seeking rare vinyl and one-of-a-kind gifts have known for decades. Stinkweeds is owned by Kimber Lanning (she opened in 1987), and Frances is owned by Georganne Bryant (as in mom of Aidy Bryant from SNL). Walk five minutes west to find Changing Hands, an indie bookstore with a bar inside.

This stop can serve as a home base of sorts for anyone planning on using the light rail as their main mode of transportation. Arrive Phoenix, a swanky boutique hotel with locations in Palm Springs and Austin, recently opened around the corner from the stop and comes complete with a popsicle stand, pool bar, and rooftop cocktail lounge.

3. Eat, drink, love at Pane Bianco and Lux Central.

Nearest light rail stop: Campbell/Central Avenue

Start at Pane Bianco, the Chris Bianco sandwich shop that makes some of the best sandwiches in Phoenix and perhaps the United States. Get the Mozzarella, which is made with housemade mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and wood-fired focaccia. Then go next door to Lux Central, a hip coffee outpost with arguably the best beans and vibe in town. Open 6:00 AM to midnight, there are plenty of plugs and people watching, plus free refills on drip coffee.

4. Escape into art at Phoenix Art Museum.

Photo: Phoenix Art Museum/Facebook

Nearest light rail stop: McDowell/Central Avenue

It’s hard to miss the Phoenix Art Museum thanks to the caged, giant red T-Rex out front. Inside the modern, sweeping space, you’ll find art by Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe, as well as the iconic “George Washington” portrait by Gilbert Stuart. The ultimate must-see, though, is Yayoi Kusama’s “You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies,” an infinity room of LED lights that feels like an optical dreamscape of floating stars. There are more than 18,000 artworks in all, including a sculpture garden, Western American wing, and extensive fashion collection, making it the largest art museum in the Southwest for visual art.

5. Get the Frank Sinatra treatment at Durant’s.

Nearest light rail stop: Thomas/Central Avenue

Durant’s is a restaurant that was cool before it was cool to be cool. Decked out in plush red wallpaper and vintage banquette booths with bow-tied servers and moody lighting, the Rat Pack-era steakhouse is perfect for canoodling and martini sipping. Order up Oysters Rockefeller and a perfectly cooked filet mignon or 48-ounce porterhouse and savor the artful nostalgia. The entrance through the backdoor kitchen only adds to the old-school allure.

6. Dine at Matt’s Big Breakfast.

Photo: Matt’s Big Breakfast/Facebook

Nearest light rail stop: Roosevelt/Central Avenue

Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day at Matt’s Big Breakfast. It’s not a dainty, avocado toast kind of place. The diner-style menu is loaded with griddle cakes, salami scrambles, thick-cut bacon, and waffles with real maple syrup. MBB has been flipping, frying, and scrambling since 2004, and the 50-seat, counter-style joint still draws a huge crowd for breakfast and lunch. After eating, stroll Roosevelt Row, an artsy stretch of coffee shops, restaurants, indie galleries, and outdoor murals that runs along Roosevelt Street from 7th Avenue to 7th Street.

7. Bar hop, starting at Bitter & Twisted.

Nearest light rail stop: Eastbound: Jefferson/1st Avenue, Westbound: Washington/Central Avenue

For inventive cocktails in a swanky setting, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlor is panache personified. You can order a classic like an old fashioned, but flip through the prolific Book o’ Cocktails, and more than likely, you’ll be sipping something original that’s a mix of bitters, tonics, infused spirits, and fresh herbs. Valley Bar, an underground speakeasy that’s equal parts dive and chic, hosts everything from poetry readings to punk bands. Speaking of speakeasies, it’s easy to miss Melinda’s Alley, a weekends-only basement bar below the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. The entrance is north of the hotel in the alleyway between Central Avenue and First Street. Just look for the Melinda mural and red light bulb. One stop west is The Van Buren, an 1,800-capacity music hall with an impressive lineup of headliners, including Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, and Sting.

8. Run, walk, bike, or kayak at Tempe Town Lake.

Photo: Tim Roberts Photography/Shutterstock

Nearest light rail stop: Mill Avenue/3rd Street

Phoenix isn’t all mountains and dust. Hop on the light rail eastbound for Tempe Town Lake, a reservoir of water and fun with five miles of paved path, sand volleyball courts, and plenty of public art. Rent a bike, kayak, or standup paddleboard if you want to get on the water, or stay dry and stroll the many bridges. The suspension pedestrian bridge looks like a sculpture while the Tempe Town Lake Bridge shines bright at night with thousands of colorful lights.

9. Take in the views at Sun Devil Stadium.

Nearest light rail stop: Veterans Way/College Avenue

Sun Devil Stadium is literally carved into the landscape. One of the most beautiful collegiate stadiums in the nation, Arizona State University’s outdoor football field is built between two mountain buttes, so it becomes one with the desert skyline. Catch an ASU game or just catch a look at the architectural wonder. It’s a head-turner.

10. Dive into science and find the old Phoenix at Heritage Square.

Photo: Arizona Science Center/Facebook

Nearest light rail stop: Eastbound: 3rd Street/Jefferson, Westbound: 3rd Street/Washington

History and science combine at Heritage Square. On one side you have the Arizona Science Center, an interactive, hands-on museum where you can tour the solar system in a state-of-the-art planetarium and feel what it’s like to be in the middle of a hurricane, tornado, or wildfire in the “Forces of Nature” Immersion Theater. Nearby, you have the oldest-remaining residential block in Phoenix with Pizzeria Bianco, Chris Bianco’s famous pizza joint; Bar Bianco for a drink while you wait; Nobuo at Teeter House for unforgettable Japanese food; and The Rosson House, a Queen Ann Victorian that dates back to 1895.

11. Head east to Downtown Mesa

Nearest light rail stop: Country Club/Main Street

Stroll downtown Mesa, a once-sleepy farm town that’s stepping up its food and beverage game. Worth Takeaway on Main Street serves up stellar sandwiches, like the Crispy Chicken, a deep-fried slab of seasoned chicken topped with honey sriracha sauce, pickles, and local bibb lettuce. The side of housemade potato chips only adds to its worthiness. Next door’s Oro Brewery Company brews up inventive nano-brews like Give Peat a Chance, a smoky stout with a hint of chocolate. Desert Eagle Brewing Company is also worth a stop for its Dark Cherry Blonde Ale and Peanut Butter Porter. Keep walking east, past the historic Nile Theatre and antique stores, to República Empanada, a restaurant that specializes in, you guessed it, empanadas. Save room for the Dizzy Fig, which is a local fig, cheese, and dulce-de-leche-oozing dessert empanada.


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The best international LGBTQ movies

Queer culture is often sold as a one-size-fits-all stereotype even when the stereotype clearly doesn’t fit. To assume every LGBTQ person worships at the throne of Cher and can be categorized as either a “Jack” or a “Will” makes an ass of “u” and “me.”

Travel is an excellent antidote used to dispel these myths, but even the most experienced traveler can’t adequately capture the essence of LGBTQ life in all corners of the world. That’s where movies come in.

On the silver screen, viewers visit far-flung destinations and stand in the shoes of someone else for a few hours. Be it rural South Africa, a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, or a ballet class in Antwerp, the best movies about queer life take us on transformative trips into the cultural soul of not only its characters but also the places in which they live.

In the past five years, queer cinema has portrayed LGBTQ life around the world as dangerous, droll, sinful, and sexy. There have been drag performers, drug dealers, filthy rich high schoolers, and dirt-poor adults. Some movies sparked protests in their hometowns; others won Academy Awards.

This list includes 10 of the most remarkable films concerning queer life today, and while there’s no one-size-fits-all stereotype that defines each character, there is a common theme that connects each movie — the exploration of identity.

To be queer is to recognize yourself as something that doesn’t fit into the societal norm. While each of these films explores a location where the norm is vastly different — be it Memphis, Tennessee, or Nairobi, Kenya — they all wind up on the same journey to self-discovery, which is the best kind of trip you can take.

Here are 10 recent films that dive into diverse queer lives around the world.

1. Booksmart — Los Angeles, California

Photo: Annapurna Pictures

On the eve of their high school graduation, academic overachievers Amy and Molly realize they missed out on all the debaucherous fun had by their classmates in the past four years. As a result, they do what overachievers do best: shove four years of partying into one wild night. The result is a romp that belongs in the pantheon of teen girl-power comedies.

Much like its masterful predecessors Clueless and Mean Girls, Booksmart (2019) features queer characters but introduces their sexuality through a progressive 21st-century lens — as a non-issue, not as a defining character trait. Although this uber-liberal take on sexuality doesn’t apply all over the United States, it’s certainly a reality adopted by younger generations in open-minded communities.

2. Girl — Antwerp, Belgium

Photo: Menuet

This 2018 film paints a moving portrait of Lara, a young trans girl attempting her first year at a top-tier ballet school while awaiting gender confirmation surgery in Antwerp, Belgium. Although Lara has a loving father, an understanding therapist, and a doctor helping her through the transition, she struggles to manage the mental distress caused by her gender dysmorphia. The film delicately shows the ways even the most woke members in a socially liberal country can undermine the existence of trans identities by ignorantly reinforcing the gender binary. Although the film came under fire for casting a cisgender man to play Lara (Victor Polster, whose performance is a tour-de-force), the movie is one of the most gut-wrenching stories about challenges currently faced by the trans community in western society.

3. Moonlight — Liberty City, Miami

Photo: A24

Stories concerning American queer life often favor white gay men, and Moonlight, a 2016 film that looks at three pivotal chapters in a black gay man’s journey to adulthood, is a welcome departure from the norm. Director Barry Jenkins takes viewers to a part of South Florida tourists rarely visit — the Liberty City projects in Miami. Unlike the ostentatious wealth of South Beach, Moonlight explores black lives in inner-city America — lives plagued by crime, addiction, and incarceration — offering an empathetic glimpse into the universality of a world many would otherwise label as “foreign.” Winner of the 2017 Academy Award for Best Picture, Moonlight’s portrayal of a young man struggling with his intersectional identities is sensorial. You can taste the saltwater and feel the thick air where the protagonist, Chiron, learns to swim, falls in love, and finds balance in an unstable world.

4. And Then We Danced — Tbilisi, Georgia

Photo: French Quarter Film

Tbilisi, Georgia, a former Soviet republic at the intersection of Europe and Asia, is also at the crossroads of a fiery debate concerning homosexuality ignited by the controversial 2019 film And Then We Danced.

In the film, a male dancer training to be in the National Georgian Ensemble (a traditional dance troupe that represents the country’s old-fashioned view of manhood) begins a romantic relationship with another man, leading him to risk his future in favor of living an authentically queer life. The movie is a study in all things Tbilisi — from Georgian folk dance to the city’s emerging rave scene — but most important is the portrayal of LGBTQ Georgians and their struggles.

Violent protests broke out during the film’s 2019 screening in Tbilisi, proof of the bravery it took to create this dangerous piece about self-expression and LGBTQ visibility in Georgia.

5. Rafiki — Nairobi, Kenya

Photo: Film Movement

Rafiki (2018), a film about the romance between two Nairobi-based women, was initially banned in Kenya for its positive portrayal of homosexuality. The country still upholds draconian laws criminalizing same-sex sexual activity, and this film offers glimmers of hope for queer Kenyans. The film made waves at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and provides insight into lesbian life in an often-overlooked part of the world.

6. A Fantastic Woman — Santiago, Chile

Photo: Fabula

A Fantastic Woman (the 2018 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film) follows Marina, a trans woman living in Santiago, Chile, as she fights for her rights following the death of her partner, Orlando. The lofty title leaves big shoes to fill, and Marina (a captivating Daniela Vega) is a perfect fit for the job. The story, which moves from heartfelt drama to suspenseful thriller to surrealist musical, showcases Marina’s resilience in the face of all obstacles.

Although the Chilean government passed laws honoring trans identities within the last year, Marina’s fictional struggle for acceptance is a struggle still faced by many trans people both in Chile and around the world.

7. Boy Erased — Memphis, Tennessee

Photo: Anonymous Content

If Booksmart represents the light side of America’s queer-youth experience, Boy Erased represents the darkness. The critically acclaimed 2018 film, adapted from a 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley, follows Jarod Eamons, a college Freshman enrolled in a conversion therapy camp in Memphis, Tennessee. Conversion therapy, a form of torture predicated on the false notion that identifying as LGBTQ is a curable illness, is still legal in 31 states. No empirical evidence supports its efficacy.

The film mirrors America’s complex debate over conversion therapy and has played a critical role in advocating against the evil practice. In the past few years, conservative and liberal parties across the country have worked together to outlaw conversion therapy with moderate success. While the fight is still far from over, recent progress is a sign that sweeping change is on the horizon.

8. The Wound — Eastern Cape, South Africa

Photo: Urucu Media

The Xhosa, a South African community from the Eastern Cape Province, marks a teenage boy’s transition to manhood through ritualistic circumcision. This initiation process, known as ulwaluko, is The Wound’s jumping-off point, but a forbidden gay romance is its emotional core. Xolani, the protagonist, is forced to confront his hidden identity when “the love that dare not speak its name” becomes a wound of a different kind.

In 2017, cast and crew members received death threats in response to the film’s controversial depiction of ulwaluko and homosexuality, proving how antiquated ideas surrounding heteronormativity are still deeply ingrained in Xhosa culture.

9. Viva — Cuba

Photo: Magnolia Pictures

Although Viva (2015) tends toward the emotionally melodramatic — it is, after all, a story about a young gay hairdresser with daddy issues who’s launching a drag-queen career — it’s worth watching if only for the cinematography featuring Havana, Cuba. Set under azure Caribbean skies, within dank apartment buildings, and along roads lined with classic 1950s cars, half of Viva‘s beauty is getting to explore the dynamic cityscape. The other half is experiencing a drag culture far different from the death drops indicative of American drag since RuPaul started judging queens on LogoTV. Viva is a love letter to Cuba’s vibrant, though often marginalized, gender-queer performance scene.

10. Dream Boat — Europe

Photo: Gebrueder Beetz

Tristan Ferland Milewski’s 2017 documentary about a week-long gay cruise in Europe follows five men from five different countries as they navigate universal concerns plaguing the gay community. The main characters — a Dubai-based Indian man, a Palestinian from Belgium, a wheelchair-bound Frenchman, a Polish man from the UK, and an Austrian living with HIV — explore themes related to body dysmorphia, acceptance, and loneliness as they search the ship for love. The international mashup of personalities proves that no matter where they travel, most gay men in the western world still pack the same emotional baggage — and a speedo.


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Americans want to work remotely

The pandemic will prove to be a catalyst for many changes once life returns to normal, but one of the most obvious ones is the work-from-home movement. Now that the majority of Americans have had a taste of working remotely, going back into the office is going to be a tough proposition.

According to an IBM survey, 54 percent of the 250,000 polled adults want to work primarily from home, and 75 percent would like the option to do it occasionally. Forty percent of respondents said that once their businesses reopen, they’d like their employer to offer a work-from-home option.

Remote work requires more than a simple change of location. For employers, making sure their staff has the skills to be self-motivated, manage time, and remain productive is indispensable before taking the leap.

Encouragingly for employees, data shows that businesses are open to the idea. A Gallup poll released on Friday showed that 52 percent of managers would be in favor of allowing employees to work from home more often, due to their experience with the pandemic.


More like this: Pro tips for working from home, from the Matador staff who do it year-round

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Best ways to celebrate Mother's Day

Many of the usual ways to celebrate Mother’s Day are not an option this year. With restaurants closed, you can’t take her out to brunch. Depending on the state you live in, florists may or may not be open. And even Amazon is plagued with delays. How, then, can you communicate how much you love and appreciate your dear mom or grandmother? We have some ideas.

1. Give her a restaurant gift certificate.

We all need something to look forward to in these crazy times, and there’s hardly a better thing to look forward to than one of the pleasures we once took for granted: a nice meal out together. So buy a gift certificate to one of your mom’s favorite restaurants and tell her you’ll be having that Mother’s Day brunch, or dinner, a few weeks (or months) late this year. You can even suggest the menu items that each of you will order when you do go out.

2. Savor the same meal.

When we spoke with families who live far apart, they told us that cooking and eating the same meal is a bonding experience — even if distant time zones mean they eat at different times. Now you don’t necessarily want your mom to cook an extravagant meal on her special day, whether she’s living on her own or with her partner. But maybe you all just eat spaghetti on Sunday and have a video chat to commemorate it.

3. Splurge on a spa certificate.

Mother’s Day is often about pampering. Maybe your mom won’t be ready for a facial when spas open up again, but she might like a nice pedicure. If there is no expiration date on the gift certificate, she will really be able to use that gift certificate in confidence in the future. Just deciding whether she’ll go for a deep tissue massage or a brown sugar scrub is sure to make her feel good.

4. Make a video for her.

Photo: fizkes/Shutterstock

If you have siblings, you can coordinate to have each family member record a special message about why they love your mother, and put it all together in a video. If you or any of your siblings have kids, have the little ones say something for the video as well. If you’re an only child, you could make a video with a short introduction by you, followed by a slideshow set to music of photographs of memories you shared with your mom. Whether a group effort or a solo labor of love, the resulting product is sure to be cherished.

5. Jump on a family group video call.

If your mom hasn’t Zoomed yet, Mother’s Day is the day to gather with your siblings and get on a Zoom call with her. Take the time beforehand to patiently walk her through the process of downloading the app and getting signed up. If Zoom is still too complex for your mom, but you all have iPhones, there’s an even easier solution. Just create a text group with whoever will be on the call, and then click on “FaceTime video.” All mom has to do is answer her phone.

6. Set up a Zoom call with her friends.

The most elderly among us are suffering the most during this pandemic. Not only are they at greatest risk from the coronavirus, but they’ve had to socially isolate more intensely than others. That level of distancing can have negative emotional and cognitive consequences for seniors. Do your grandma or older mom a favor and set up a Zoom call with her friends. This may take some time and patience on your part, especially if none of them have done a group video call before. Once you make it happen, though, the effort will be seriously appreciated.

7. Do some gardening.

Photo: Tyler Olson/Shutterstock

If your mom has a yard and she feels comfortable with it, you can bring over some seeds or starter herbs to plant or just offer to do some weeding for her. Just be sure to stay six feet apart and work on a different part of the garden. You’ll have the joy of speaking in person and sharing an activity together. If there’s not enough space for you both to stay apart, you could just drop off some flower pots with seeds or starters already in them and give your mom instructions on taking care of them. Whether you brought them to her or you planted them together, your mom will think of you every time she cuts a sprig of thyme or admires the new daffodils.

8. Send her music.

If your mom is tech savvy enough to listen to, say, Apple Music or Spotify, then share a playlist with ‘70s disco, ‘80s tunes, or whatever it is she likes to listen to. If she doesn’t listen to Apple Music and doesn’t have a Spotify account, you could even send her a YouTube playlist. At a time when we’re all a bit stressed, music is a definite mood booster.

9. Send her drawings or an actual letter.

If you have kids, have them draw a card for their grandma. You can email a photo of the cards or send them in the mail. Even if you don’t have kids, consider taking the time to send an actual letter. Whether your mom is 50 or 80, and obviously anywhere in between, she remembers a time when people sent handwritten letters to those they cared about.

10. Make a donation in her name.

With Amazon deliveries delayed, and the risks of deliveries themselves to older recipients, you could bypass the whole process and make a gift in your mom’s name instead. If your mom loves animals, donate to a wildlife conservancy affected by the pandemic. If she’s concerned about people who’ve been economically hurt by the lockdown regulations, donate to a food bank. Ask her what charities she likes to support, and then make that donation.

11. Bake something delicious.

Photo: Suheil Kapadia/Shutterstock

If you can’t have a meal with your mom, but you live in the same area, you can still drop off something she’ll enjoy eating. If you’ve been on the same bread baking spree as the rest of the world, how about dropping off a fresh loaf of your walnut wheat or rosemary rye? If the whole bread baking thing is not your jam, you can keep it simple and bring her some home-baked cookies.

12. Make her a recipe book.

If your mom is one of those mothers who likes cookbooks, then she will love a personalized one. If you’ve been on a cooking spree while you shelter in place, we hope you’ve taken some photos of your creations. Even if you haven’t, you should still consider putting together a homemade cookbook of your creations. You can even get it bound into a regular photo book with a service like Mimeo or Shutterfly and have it sent directly to her at a later date.

13. Take her outside, if you can — and maybe not on Mother’s Day.

We think spending time outside is a great way to celebrate your mom. You could just hang out in her yard, if she has one. Another option would be a socially distanced walk in the woods that you both drive to separately. Just know that on Mother’s Day itself, beaches or parks that are open may be too crowded for comfort. So consider Saturday or, better yet, Monday, and explain to your mom why you’ve chosen a less busy day to get outdoors. Remember the placement of the day itself is arbitrary, and what really matters is dedicating time to remind your mother how much you care.


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