FADE IN
Act 1
INT. SITTING ROOM - EVENING (DAYS AGO)
PETER and his WIFE are watching TV: We hear: In 1973, I earned $1600/m. The housing price was $200/sq ft. I could buy 8 sq ft...Now...the young can't even buy 1 sq ft...So there's no hope...
PETER (V.O.): In 1973, I began working full-time, earning $700/m. Buying a property was beyond hope.
Recalling.
.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I bought my first electric guitar in 1974, a used Ford Capri in 1976 and a semi-detached house in 1983.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hope fuel me with energy and courage to go forward. I had hoped to study at HKU from 1973 and made it in 1981!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What exactly is hope?
Act 2
INT. STUDY - 10:00
Peter is checking answer requests on Quora.
PETER (V.O.): A Quoran asks me how hope impacts on people's decision making.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a perceived capability, hope derives pathways to desired goals, motivating people to decide along the pathways.
Peter types his reply on phone screen.
EXT. ESTATE PARK - 13:15
Peter jogs along a track.
PETER (V.O.): Another Quoran asks me how people can live longer. I hope regular exercises can help.
INT. RESTAURANT - 13:30
Peter is having seafood on hot plates.
PETER (V.O.): I hope eating healthily is another way to add years to life.
Tapping Yahoo!Finance App on his phone screen, Peter sees lots of numerals in red.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hope the stock market is consolidating, and my total negative gain will become positive soon.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Apart from refining my investment strategies, there isn't much I can do.
INT. CAR PARK - 14:30
Sitting in the driver seat of his silver coupe, Peter starts the engine. Silence.
PETER (V.O.): Another car had the same problem. Since I've used it more regularly, the problem has gone away.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hope the problem of this coupe is the same.
As Peter starts the coupe again. we hear instant engine-cranking sounds.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Good. It works. I'll leave the engine running for a while as I'm not going anywhere.
Grabbing a book from the back seat, Peter is in thoughts.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I bought the book in 1996 in Beijing when I was studying in Tsinghua University. I hoped I could find time to read it.
Peter begins reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Zhou Enlai died in Jan 1976, during the Cultural Revolution. Did he have any hope for China then?
INT. STUDY - 15:30
Peter finishes a phone conversation
PETER (V.O.): The University secretariat wants to confirm now my attendance of the forthcoming Council meeting. I hope I can attend it, but I can only confirm tomorrow.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Focusing on the probable, people may be disillusioned with the speed, ease and consequences of their hopes.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Some people may just focus on what is possible rather than probable, hoping their hopes will happen without doing anything.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Worst still, there're dangers with false hopes - many things are outside people's control.
Act 3
INT. SITTING ROOM - 22:00
Peter and his WIFE are watching TV.
PETER (V.O.): I think hope has three active thinking elements: (1) to achieve a goal, (2) to formulate the strategy and (3) to motivate oneself to take actions.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Support is a critical factor in the development of hope. Hope dies when one's lone effort doesn't work.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hope to travel every month with my wife when she retires. Not sure if she'd support me. Meanwhile, we hope our elder daughter will pass her driving test tomorrow.
THE END
FADE OUT
Comments