Alexa Dexa

Toys & Travel: A Tour Diary www.alexadexa.com Upcoming Shows

[alexadexa]

April 27, 2017 - Day 58 Today Lauren and I part ways, but not before we finally stop in to eat brunch at an Indian restaurant that has taunted and tantalized our food senses just about every morning and night as we passed by it on our way to and from the hostel. Spoiler alert, it was the greatest choice we could have made. The naan there was the size of 2 & ½ human heads and the curry was a taste I wished would linger endlessly. After licking the plates clean, Lauren heads to the airport and I journey off with plenty of adventuring to do. First up is the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. While I infinitely prefer to see fishies and sea creatures of all kinds flourishing in their ocean homes, it was certainly interesting to browse the fare, especially the extra large crabs and all of the dried and packaged delicacies (which are really oddities to me). My favorite stall was selling handmade candies in the shapes of sushi. (I told you Tokyo was cute.) From there, I tried finding the Advertising Museum (with a quick interlude at a post office). I was terribly dismayed to discover it was closed for renovations. Heartbroken really, since I’ve heard it’s a phenomenal museum. I went next to Arts Chiyoda 3331, which houses a collection of artist studios and small exhibits. Not too much was open when I arrived so it was on to the next destination - Origami Kaikan, where an army of paper horse riding samurais greeted me. I made it just in time to watch a tiny bit of the origami paper dyeing process. It really brought me back to my paper and print making college classes. I loved watching the paper being saturated in color and hung from drying racks along the ceiling with a wooden hook of sorts. Afterwards, I walked back to the hostel and attempted to sort out the best and cheapest way for me to travel to Osaka round trip before crashing in my private cubby adjacent to Lauren’s now empty bed.

[alexadexa]

April 26, 2017 - Day 57 Since it's our last full day of touring together, Lauren and I make it count. We pack out our day with the most outlandish and seriously cute agenda - which obviously means wearing our new platform shoes around town. Our first stop is Lawson's for day snacks, where I discover the magnificence of Chocopies, which are essentially Mallomars but with cream instead of marshmallow. I can't get enough of them. We head for the subway (our prime grounds for reading each other Harlequin Magazine since English is not very wide-spread in Japan) to take us to the Tokyo National Museum to peruse the myriad Japanese antiquities in their home halls of marble. I'm particularly impressed by the extravagance of the ceremonial tea sets and the paper demonstrations of traditional acts. There were certainly plenty of swords of all shapes and sizes. When we had our fill of history (and finished the hands-on exhibit of creating your own postcard with symbolic Japanese stamps), we took the subway over to Harajuku for the cat cafe! I have never seen so many cats napping in one glamorous place before. All of them had the absolute softest fur I've ever felt. I'm pretty sure these cats only just get groomed, bathed, and permanap while people wearing cat ears pet them all day. Did I totally love all of it? Yes, yes I did. Especially the part about being given cat ears to wear so we could better fit into our surroundings. Next up - vegan ramen. I was so thrilled to find a place where I could actually eat a staple of Japanese cuisine! (Don't get me wrong, I've been loving eating almost every meal out of my fav convenience stores, they really have a crazy selection, but the change of pace was a delight.) The method of choosing your order by way of menu vending machine I could definitely live without. Probably because I always have so many food-related questions and often want to make changes. The ramen however was phenomenal, I was not disappointed. Afterwards we sought out the Monster Cafe, a really trippy place that could be a dance club of candy-colored, black-lit nightmares if there weren't so many tables & mushroom booths in lieu of a dance floor. All of the staff are costumed appropriately and the best part is the giant indoor melty-looking carousel. The worst part is not being able to ride the carousel's rabbits or sheep, so tempting! We have a taste of rainbow "poison" cake and end our monster-themed night with a walk back to Wise Owl Hostels, where Lauren reads me to sleep.

[alexadexa]

April 25, 2017 - Day 56

My favorite thing about Tokyo is that everything is so cute. Construction on the highway? Need traffic cones? They’re in the shape of pandas. Temporary structures on sidewalks a bit of an eyesore? Add cartoon pictures of trees and whales. All of which Lauren and I see as we make our way to the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda. In the East Gardens, we get our first glimpse of cherry blossoms in bloom, which I derive great pleasure from spotting & announcing. We wander among heaps of different flowers, tiny bridges over ponds of koi, and dramatic, historical gates until it feels as though we’ve walked the entirety of the park, which is a bit of a maze truth be told. Finally we’re able to find the palace itself & enjoy its majestic position overlooking its moat. Up next is Harajuku. Right off the metro I see a sign for a street called Takeshita, which is nothing if not inviting with its banner of balloon flowers. (I mentioned Tokyo was cute, right?) It turns out Takeshita is the ridiculously amazing shopping street for really adorable fashions and items. The first thing that caught my eye was a rack full of squishy vegetable keychains. They’re so silly but I had to have one! (I chose cauliflower.) I loved seeing all of the restaurants with what looked like a vending machine of plastic food but was actually a physical representation of the menu awaiting you. Then I saw the Out of The World platform shoe store and it was game over for me. Lauren and I decided we’d get crazy platforms together and I literally could not be happier. By the time we made our respective choices, it was time for me to run back to Wise Owl Hostels for my toy piano and then over to The Basement for my show. I ended up missing my soundcheck because the Tokyo metro system is sort of a challenge. (Different companies own different lines. So if you’re transferring between them, you have to buy new tickets and everything becomes more convoluted than you would expect for a city-wide system of transit.) So we go across the street to an antique store, where I befriend a giant taxidermied polar bear. On our way back to the venue we hit up Lawson’s (Family Mart’s equally as food-accessible brother convenience store) and select a few dinner items. And ice cream. The show tonight is fun, minus the indoor smoking which seems to be no big deal around here. I really loved sharing the stage with SHOKO, who does some great vocal looping and also makes her utterly rad stage outfits. Also Hownowmer from Melbourne were a trip to meet. Afterwards, Lauren and I walked back from the venue, ready for conking out.

[alexadexa]

April 24, 2017 - Day 55 - Tokyo Flights bleed into other flights and by the time I make it back to Singapore's airport, I'm feeling dizzy with a sense that my equilibrium isn't quite right, thrown off by the dips and swoops of too many hours in an airplane. I sleep for 5 broken hours before landing in Tokyo. I putter about in the airport putting my pack back into working order and making use of the wifi to try sorting out changing my flight from Seoul to leave from Tokyo. I'm relatively certain I'm not going to be able to carry through with the South Korean leg of my tour given the unstable political situation between DPRK/China/Russia and SK/JP/US. Maybe nothing will happen and it's all hot talk. But I'd rather not find out in person if it's not. Time to explore Tokyo! My first adventure is trying to figure out the subway system. Thank the heavens they have stops written in Japanese and English so at least I know where I am, sort of. I decide to make Shibuya my first stop and head towards duo Music Exchange for an early sound check. The space is pretty serious - I'm asked for lighting cues and they use a fog machine. After every song, they dim the lights to total darkness. After sound check I leave my things backstage and take a walk on a mission for vegetarian food, which turns out to be more of a challenge than I expected. Japanese cuisine & culture is definitely not the most veg-friendly. I had a destination in mind, it was just impossible to find in all the multi-storied business complexes. So I wandered around getting my first glimpse of kawaii fashion and the atmosphere of Shibuya, including a little painted cat statue exhibit. Eventually I ended up in a Family Mart (a pretty rad convenience store) for food and found some ready-to-eat rice noodles floating in water, edamame, and the MOST AMAZING coconut milk tapioca drink that I immediately became addicted to. The show itself was pretty surreal. The other female-fronted artists were so cute and definitely dressed all the way up. Hard to compete with after a night on two airplanes and no freshening up. Lauren made it to duo Music Exchange just as I finished my set. She helped me sell some merch before we went off to Wise Owl Hostels Shibuya to settle in for the night. I was so pleasantly surprised by the cubby box system that allowed them to have 26 beds with perfect privacy all in one room. It was cozy, clean, and utterly adorable.

[alexadexa]

April 23, 2017 - Day 54 - Singapore In the morning I leave Lauren for the airport. Today we each have our own layover adventures in different cities. She'll head to Cairns and I'll spend 8 hours in Singapore, just enough time to escape the airport to play a show before continuing on my way to Japan. I briefly look over all the illegal things I should be careful not to do so as to avoid caning or being locked up abroad (like making music in the streets - I hope not to jangle my toy piano while walking - or singing lewd lyrics - I just won't even hum in public) and hand off all of my improperly packaged vitamins to Lauren because I'm not taking any chances. I'm forced to check my carry on since it's over the allowable weight (it pretty much has been this whole tour but I've been getting away with it), so last minute I stuff all of my most important and necessary items for my show in Singapore into my tiny backpack within a backpack and wave goodbye to my pack, willing it to join me in Tokyo the following day. Passport control and customs in Singapore are not as big a deal as I thought they might be and the airport is surprisingly nice. It's just HOT, really hot and muggy, which I honestly should have expected given its location so close to the equator. My wool leggings were definitely not the best choice for this weather. When I'm free & clear of customs, I take an exhilarating taxi ride to Independent Archives, the super cute anarchist space I'll be performing in during my layover. Everyone at IA is so incredibly attentive, friendly, excited to have me, and helpful. I'm definitely taken aback by how lovely the experience is. Right before the show starts I hear amplified singing from a nearby mosque. The show itself is a breath of fresh air (despite the muggy humidity and the cigarette smoke that occasionally drifts in from outside the open door). The compact space filled to the brim with documentation of performances and local arts & events made an appropriate setting for a group of avid listeners, grateful for the community and creative outlet IA provides. My favorite performer was Marla, a trans woman who made experimental sounds singing into her zither. After the show, a new friend offers to give me a ride back to the airport. On the way we stop for a warm tofu drink & soft tofu bowl and then I'm sitting in the airport again, totally humbled by the kindness I've met with in so short a period.

[alexadexa]

April 22, 2017 - Day 53

On my last full day in Australia, Lauren and I decide to check out the Art Gallery of Western Australia followed by picnicking at Kings Park. AGWA had a pretty sweet exhibit for sneakerheads (of various actual sneakers behind glass) that put the seed of sneaker love into our headspace. There was also a really moving aboriginal exhibit called “Everyone Has a History - Part One: Plain Speak." I’m still impressed by the curatorial dedication shown to modern and traditional aboriginal artwork in Australia & New Zealand and wish the States were better about honoring the cultures of those who came before us. The walk to Kings Park was enjoyable, if uphill, but we were rewarded with a terrific view of Perth’s CBD. As it turns out, Kings Park is home to not only a large memorial to those who fought in The Great War (WW1), but also a Botanic Garden - which we all know at this point that I couldn’t possibly resist visiting despite the inevitable risk of pollens mixed with the dry climate wreaking havoc on my allergy-induced swelling. At least tomorrow I’ll be on another continent, hopefully lacking allergies to my surroundings. (But I’ll have a week’s worth of Telfast with me just in case!) The evening culminates with my performance at Four 5 Nine. We arrive way too early for soundcheck so Lauren and I start reading a story from Harlequin Magazine with the woman running sound. Obviously we made fast friends and an interesting night of it!

[alexadexa]

April 21, 2017 - Day 52 I wake up painfully early possibly still jet lagged from a mere 2 hr time difference. Lauren and I semi-spontaneously decide we'll grab the ferry to Rottnest Island today. On our way to the Fremantle B-Shed where we catch the ferry, we have a literal run into Coles for daytime snacks and make it to the ferry just in time. When we arrive on the island, we rent out bikes for the day and head off to Henrietta Rocks. It's a warm, sunny day (apparently 300 days go by in similar fashion here with one full month of rain in winter) and the island is absolutely perfect for biking as no cars are allowed and there's only just a tourist bus and hotel shuttles every so often coming around. It's pretty fun to have a whole asphalt road to your biking pleasure. At Henrietta Rocks, there's a stunning view of the Indian Ocean, Rottnest's fine white sand beach, and a shipwreck that I instantly decide it's in my curiosity's best interest to take a swim to. So I leave behind my things and head into the water. Due to some underwater rocks and the resulting wave funnel between them, the shipwreck seems too risky to swim over to, but the water was utterly lovely. We have a picnic on the beach and bike down to Salmon Bay where we take a glorious swim in a crystal clear lightly emerald bluish water. At one point I think I see an emu swimming with us, but it's just a rock with a smaller bird on top. The island's lighthouse looms above us in the distance and is our next destination. Up and down hills and among amazing nature sights, we ride to the white lighthouse. On the way we meet our first quokkas, little marsupials that inhabit the island and jump around with permasmile faces. Our view from the lighthouse warrants a brief rest and then we're off between the pinkish blue salt lakes back towards the settlement to return the bikes and explore by foot. I see an old European-style cemetery and then a sign marking the ancient burial grounds of the Whadjuk people. In honor of their traditional ownership of Rottnest, Lauren and I pick up a handful of sand at the water signifying our unity with the land and release our handful into the water acknowledging our respect for the land and the traditional owners. After the trek back to Perth, we meet with a friend of Lauren's from college for dinner at a Krishna eatery. It was super tasty and he had some great suggestions for Perth-based sound artists that I'm really excited to check out! All in all an adventure of a day!

[alexadexa]

April 20, 2017 - Day 51 - Perth Today I escape the brutal, dusty heat of Exmouth and fly to Perth. I meet up with my cousin Lauren at Elizabeth Quay in front of what kind of looks like a giant sculpture of a multi-circular paper clip next to a heart-stopping carousel (namely because all carousels are heart-stopping to me). Our first order of tourist business is to head to Fremantle prison for a look about. Started by Europeans as a penal colony, the prison contained criminals well into the 90s. We get a good look at the visiting room, reception, and some prisoner works of art. Then we walk our way to North Fremantle where I am to perform at Mojo's with Sex on Toast. After soundchecking we head next door for a bite and end up snagging the most amaaaaazing ice cream sandwiches - mine was macadamia and caramel. Sharing the stage with Sex on Toast was a treat. Lauren and I have a crazy thing for 80s music and they have a killer modern-day take with R&B vibes. Also, the 9 members of this band included a bassoonist. Need I say more? As a touring artist, I normally don't get a true feel for the local night life being that I am the night life in one bar or another. Mojo's was an interesting intersection because it was clearly the most happening local joint - the kind of place I'd want to go even if I wasn't playing there.

[alexadexa]

April 19, 2017 - Day 50 I wake up super early so I walk to the beach and make it just in time for sunrise. Unfortunately, the wind is so formidable that I can't sit down and even as I'm standing my legs are pelted and stinging with hard sand, which even reaches my poor eyes. So much for a day at the beach. Not to mention when I arrived there were signs at reception about Irukandji jellies in the water and 14 people being hospitalized in the past week from their stings. "Irukandji syndrome is produced by a small amount of venom and induces excruciating muscle cramps in the arms and legs, severe pain in the back and kidneys, a burning sensation of the skin and face, headaches, nausea, restlessness, sweating, vomiting, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, and psychological phenomena such as the feeling of impending doom" (which I currently feel about the possibility of being stung despite surprising nonchalance from locals who say, "oh but you can see them in the water" which sounds like a sick joke since they're clear). So I finally take a look at the pool and it's blessedly situated with straw hut cabanas and benches with tables so I can sit in the shade near water at a wifi hotspot. My one delight for the day comes in the form of lunch. Chips & homemade ice cream. Earlier in the day I fixed my purse at least temporarily. In stabbing through the leather, I managed to stab myself as well. I spend the rest of my day reading and napping in bed, hoping my eyelid swelling ceases and desists.

[alexadexa]

April 18, 2017 - Day 49 After the whale sharks: I'm literally standing in the middle of a makeshift road between camper vans/tenters/babies pretending to be wolves howling around the outside and the outdoor(!!!!) kitchen right in front of my little dorm room that thankfully I'm still the only inhabitant of currently. This is so I can get wifi. Barely.

[alexadexa]

April 17, 2017 - Day 48 - Exmouth After a few broken hours of sleep in a plush chair in a nice coffee shop nook of Tullamarine airport, I board my flight to Perth. I start watching Lion late in the flight and am delighted by the unexpected and now familiar imagery of Tasmania. It's a four hour layover in Perth before boarding my flight to Exmouth. I'm exhausted but sleep is just not going to happen for me on these flights. On the bright side, the special meals on Qantas are really tasty. Upon landing in Exmouth, I notice my phone has no service. SOS only. Apparently only Telstra sims get any service over here, so much for my Vodaphone attempted preparation. I end up staying at the only hostel with free (interrupted) wifi and am lucky to have a 4 dorm room with AC and a locker all to myself. It doesn't hurt that the girl working reception is a total sweetheart and was nice enough to show me the room before I chose to stay.

[alexadexa]

April 16, 2017 - Day 47 Happy hoppity Easter to me a day earlier than all of my celebratory circle. I leave Ryan's place for MONA early to catch the 9:30am ferry over. I sit inside today to listen to the captain's commentary on our surroundings. I hadn't noticed the fancy governor's house we'd been passing and it was nice to know the large factory on the water produces zinc without any waste going into the water. Apparently an overhaul occurred with a new owner and now the place is in tip top environmental shape. At MONA I head to the big outdoor stage to be the musical opener for the market. After lunch, I play an extra set in The Void on the lowermost level. That turned out to be a great place to play and I was happy to be able to chat to a few more people in that setting. I repack my bag all up and prepare for the upcoming 24 hours in transit to Exmouth, WA. When I leave the ferry and have a sit down on a pier couch, a man who had seen a bit of my performance earlier asked if I'd like to grab a glass of wine. Perfect timing given the alternative of sitting on a couch for my two hour wait prior to catching the airport shuttle. He picked out a really lovely Riesling and the conversation was equally a nice surprise. By the time I get to the Hobart Airport, I'm ready for bed. I arrive in Melbourne around midnight and settle in for my 7 hour layover.

[alexadexa]

April 15, 2017 - Day 46 I head out in the morning to catch a glimpse of Salamanca market. I don't think it really holds a candle to markets like the one I bought my chromatic kalimba from in Buenos Aires, but I enjoy looking at the wares, especially the veg for sale. I catch the 11:30am ferry to MONA and Martin helps me set up in the Nolan gallery for my performance. I love playing among the art, essentially as an art object myself. My songs echo along the curvature of the wooden paneling and the themes reverberate with the work around me. After my first set, Martin informs me that David Walsh, the owner of MONA, would like to have me perform on the outside stage while he and his curator friends from around the world have lunch. So I make pack up and unpack on stage outdoors. The acoustics of the property seem a bit like an afterthought weirdly enough. The stage is parallel to the museum, which is covered in glass paneling. I hear my voice and my toy piano echo back at me like I've put a massive delay effect on myself. But I play a set, break for lunch, am told David thinks I'm excellent and wants me turned up, and then I play another set. By the time I'm finished, I have just a few moments to spare to sit in a Terrell light sculpture and watch the sun set before taking the ferry back to Hobart, picking up some snacks at Woolworths, and falling into bed.

[alexadexa]

April 14, 2017 - Day 45 Since public transport out to Freycinet is unavailable on public holidays (Good Friday) I make plans to scope out MONA prior to my show. Martin, my contact at MONA, arranges for me to take the ferry over and gives me a brief tour before I start on exploring the collection. I'm utterly amazed at the curation of the collection. Every artwork has its rightful home and working your way through the iron grid of stairs and the labyrinthine network of rooms makes you feel like a lab rat in a morbid maze. My favorite piece was in the temporary exhibit "On the Origin of Art" which consisted of four doorway paths leading through more pathways of various old and new artworks. Keeping left at the four paths and entering left again at another choice of doorways, I found myself in a dark room containing the most sublime interactive artwork I've ever come across. A ringed metal structure waits to be entered and follows the movements of the participant as they conduct lights and the sounds of strings with every wave of the arm or step in any direction. As an instrument, it's a powerful choice that allows choreography to become a means of composition. Equally as enjoyable as conducting the work of art is watching the joy of others in there. Everyone's faces automatically light up at the pure creational ability this piece provides. Pretty much every work of art is masterfully selected and displayed. All descriptions are accessible by phone so no one is attached to a plaque on a wall. David, the professional gambler who owns and curates MONA, also writes some ideas of his on his collection and I'm wildly impressed by his insight and anecdotes about his art. At the end of the day Martin asked me if there was a museum I would compare MONA to and the closest I could consider was the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which similarly hosts its exhibits beneath the earth with high ceilings and rocky walls. One mangled looking metal piece clustered close to the ceiling at MONA reminded me of the twisted structural beams that remain from the Twin Towers. And the overarching clinging theme of death are akin to both museums. On the ferry ride back, I notice there are sheep sculptures as seats on the upper deck so I claim one and watch the night skyline buzzing by. Back in downtown Hobart I wait an exceptionally long time for chips, which given my cravings for them seems an appropriate choice on the wharf. I eat a monstrously large portion on my walk home, practice one last time before the show tomorrow, and settle in for rest.

[alexadexa]

This little eastern rosella birdie at Bonorong sings the most unbelievable melody and I attempt to lure it to continue singing with my sad attempt at whistling.

[alexadexa]

April 13, 2017 - Day 44 My alarm is set for 7:15am and I rise nearly with the sun in order to make the bus journey to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Brighton. It takes two to three buses along a scenic trip up the River Derwent followed by a 24 minute walk to arrive at the park. Through all of it, I'm stunned by the sheer beauty of the landscape. It's utterly incredible here. Bonorong means native companion in the aboriginal language. Almost all of the animals are native to Tasmania and are going to be reintroduced into the wild unless otherwise unable, which was the major charm luring me to visit. I'm the first guest to enter a little before 9am and since it's morning, the animals are out expecting food, so I have some alone time with them. My eyes set down first among the baby wombats, one of whom was aching for cuddles that by sheer power of rule-abiding will I refrained from giving. Next in line were the Tasmanian Devils, which were given that name because they're nocturnal and shriek like banshees to ward off other Tassie Devils from infringing on their carcass, so early Europeans would just hear them screeching at night and find chewed up carcasses in the morning and believed Tasmania to be haunted. Also their ears are bright pink and in the light of fire could easily be mistaken for devil horns. I found a potoroo, a kind of marsupial macropod that looks almost like a bunny, and spotted the beautiful furry koalas lounging in their eucalyptus trees. Then I bee-lined for the free-roaming kangaroos so I could feed them and pat their chests, which some of them really loved. On the daily tour I was allowed to pet the baby wombat and the koala (which I thought for sure was not gonna happen), which was so super adorable and amazing. I saw sleepy spotted quolls, handfuls of really lovely birds (including one eastern rosella who sang for me!! Ahh a total treat!), emus, tawny frogmouth owls, blue-tongued lizards, a tiger snake, and even Randall the echidna came out to pace around, so I walked along with him. (Echidnas are seriously so lovable!) I had a nice vegan yellow curry overlooking the park overlooking the mountains before taking a last look around and heading back to Hobart. I am the most thrilled with today's activity and would do it again in a heartbeat. I practice for MONA in the evening and end up playing a mini house show for Ryan and his friends.

[alexadexa]

April 12, 2017 - Day 43 - Hobart I arrive at Hobart Airport around 7:30am and take the airport shuttle into town. There is a bus that leaves the airport at 2:30pm. The next bus leaves on Saturday. I don't have that kind of time. When I get into downtown Hobart, I freshen up in a public bathroom at Franklin Square, have a brief sit down where I contemplate what to do until I meet my host Ryan at 1pm. I decide on the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery. On the way over I take a walk through the wharf and enjoy the view of boats on the water and mountains in the distance. Luckily the museum has free lockers so I store my things and get to perusing. There's a really lovely aboriginal exhibit that gives insight into the way of life and traditions that are still in remembrance and use, my favorite of which are the marina shell necklaces and the kelp bags. The next room over details native wildlife and flora and fauna. Towards the back I see some live ants in an ant farm. These Jack Jumper ants have orange pincers and their bite kills one in four people by sending them into anaphylaxis (which is more than spiders or snakes or crocs or sharks kill here)!! I'm currently thanking the heavens I didn't do the Overland Track. I would have been searching all over for snakes and would have given no thought at all to an ant. The next room has a priceless film of a captive Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine, a species currently thought to be extinct. It's truly a shame and I hope they're still out there in wild Tasmania. They look rather like lean dogs with special stripes along their rump. I do get to see some interesting chairs on display to make up for yesterday. There's also a pretty sweet section on Antarctic exploration with some photos from older expeditions. It's amazing to see ice so pristine without the visual display of pollution darkening its clear beauty. I'm also ceaselessly amazed by the caliber of the gloves and boots necessary to keep the extremities warm in what must be a brutally cold climate. And I'm surprised to hear about the effect of the stark isolation on the psyches of the scientists and explorers. I guess it goes hand in hand with solitary confinement in prison systems. I just never considered how deep and impenetrable our collective need for companionship and social community truly is. On display there is also an ice core from Antarctica, which is pretty amazing! After catching up with Ryan and dropping my stuff, I take a walk over to Queens Domain and end up at the Tasmanian Royal Botanical Gardens. I literally can not EVER help myself around botanical gardens. My first stop is the Subantarctic plant building, which is the only place in the world demonstrating such plant life. Then I desperately search the vast grounds for a sighting of a Huon pine, the native Tasmanian tree, but I'm not certain I ever did come across one. I did however pass through many types of Oak and Pine trees and a variety of gorgeous flowers and ferns. After dinner, Ryan, his roommate, and I go for a special ride up to Mt. Nelson to get a view of Hobart and the surrounding waters in the glowing moonlight, which is aplenty tonight. It's absolutely beautiful and in the grass below us wallabies are jumping about. I try to get close to one but they're not too keen on me. On our way out Ryan spots a opossum and it is much prettier than the ones we have at home I think. We stop for some kind of fried potato contraption at a chippie and I get a taste of what apparently is vegetarian chicken salt. People love it here, I didn't taste the charm. I am however, totally smitten with Tasmania. Unlike the mainland cities I've seen so far, it has a slower feel, it's more relaxed. The houses are all cute and the streets are wide. The mountains in the distance give a sense of natural freedom even in the little city, which is full of cute areas, fun art, quirky shops. The air feels good here.