The Edina Orchestra’s spring break trip was jeopardized in early November as uprisings arose in Bangkok, Thailand – the orchestra’s intended spring break destination. Discontent arose when protesters joined together to end the influence of Thailand’s former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, on the grounds that he was being too controlling.

Orchestra conductor Sarah Duffy had been monitoring the situation overseas for months, but made the decision not to go to Thailand after Thanksgiving break. Mrs. Duffy, along with other school administrators such as Assistant Principal Eric Nelson, made the decision to eliminate Thailand as an option for the orchestra’s vacation in the spring out of concern for the safety of the students in such a restless country.

The final choice of Hong Kong as a destination was made by Mrs. Duffy along with the travel company, who arranged an exciting itinerary including three performances, a school exchange, and visits to notable natural and cultural sites.

Mr. Nelson, who will be traveling with the orchestra to Hong Kong, is looking on the bright side and is excited to experience the new location with the students. “Hong Kong is a fantastic choice of a destination because of the opportunities for performances and fantastic sightseeing,” he remarked. The city contains over seven million people and holds a variety of activities for the orchestra, with stimulating culture and beautiful landmarks. “It also is a shorter flight and the sights are centralized, which means more time for activities and less time coaching from one sight to the next,” continued Nelson.

Juniors Michaela Johnston and Angela Harkman are both very excited to partake in this excursion with the rest of the orchestra. “I’m really excited now that we know what our itinerary is because I know it will be just as fun,” said Harkman. Johnston elaborated to include that she is most looking forward to “seeing the Big Buddha, riding on the Ngong Ping cable car, and traveling Asia with my fellow orch-dorks.”