The Abingdonian 2019

69 www.abingdon.org.uk Summer Term day was spent watching the Big Band perform in the Doshisha Chapel of Doshisha University and walking around Kyoto before our ‘Geisha Walking Tour’ with Peter Mackintosh, one of the few Westerners ensconced in the geisha world, and our ‘Evening with a Geisha’. It was incredible to see the geishas sing and play the shamisen. This was the last activity in Kyoto, thus ending the Japan stint of the tour. The following morning we flew out of Osaka airport back to Hong Kong, where we met our new guides, Margaret and Simpo. We were then taken to Victoria Peak, the highest mountain in Hong Kong, which offers spectacular views of Kowloon. After a long day of travelling, the landscape was lovely to see and a rather breathtaking introduction to our time in Hong Kong. The next morning, after breakfast, it was straight onto the coach to Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay and Stanley Market — a huge market selling jewellery, souvenirs, oriental knick-knacks and technology. We then went to St John’s Cathedral, built in 1849, to rehearse for our final concert. Then we walked to the HSBC building for a grand reception. The concert in St. John’s was our last performance of the tour, where we played our full repertoire to a nearly full cathedral. The Beethoven piano concerto with three soloists was a real highlight, with wonderful performances by Alvin Tam, David Bicarregui and Ashwin Tennant. The next morning, we celebrated our successful concert with a trip to one of the two theme parks in Hong Kong — Ocean Park. The park is home to a multitude of activities, including roller coasters over the sides of a cliff and a grand aquarium, home to over 5,000 fish. After a long day in the park, our tour was complete. The drive to Hong Kong International saw us on our way back, arriving on home turf at around 7am. Overall, the tour was an incredible success and a trip of a lifetime with so many new experiences and memories made. We were truly lucky to have been given the opportunity to go, and gratitude has to be extended to the Japanese families with whom we stayed; the teachers, guides, and Abingdon School staff who accompanied us; and, most of all, Mr Stinton, who put in so much work and effort to make the tour run perfectly. Robin Collins, 4HJW