Travel &Tours at St Ursula's College Toowoomba

Although it did rain at one stage today it was not going to stop the group from catching yet another train and sorting out what stop they needed to get off.  The girls are getting very good at working out the route and making sure the whole group knows when to get off.  They are also now getting used to working in groups of 5 in readiness for the huge crowds expected in Tokyo.

More luck and happiness.  Mrs Aitchison models the correct way to ring the bell.
Three rings and two claps of the hands.

Laura and Shiane ring the bell.

The group with the Maiko.

The girls had a glimpse of the life of a traditional Japanese Geisha with a meeting with a young woman who has decided to become what we would describe an a apprentice Geisha.  She is called a Maiko.  The girls participated in a tea ceremony and the Maiko performed a traditional dance.

Tea ceremony.

The Maiko performing a dance.

This was a very interesting experience especially for the girls.

Meeting a girl not much older than themselves that has decided to give up the freedoms of a normal teenage girl's life to commit to training as a traditional Geisha.

A life where she only sees her family once or twice a year and spends her days studying dance, art and traditional Japanese ceremonies.

A life that expects a girl to leave school at 15.

They were surprised to meet a confident, intelligent, personable and amusing young woman who had all the attributes of being anything she wanted to be and yet decided to commit for the time being to train as a Geisha.

Ms Hill, the Maiko, Mrs Aitchison & Mrs Pawsey