FADE IN
Act 1
Mobile in hand, PETER checks a WhatsApp message.
PETER (V.O): A lawyer friend asks me if I've any comment on his stuff.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): My perspective from another angle might assist.
Having typed his reply on screen, Peter soon receives a brilliant sticker.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I know I'm still professionally competent.
Peter then turns to the Duolingo app.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I must finish practising Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, German and Japanese before having lunch with my friend Dora.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And for the rest of the day, I'd focus on learning Korean with my wife.
Act 2
INT. TMK FUNK RESTAURANT - 12:30
Cosy and trendy. Sitting in a corner, Peter and DORA chat endlessly over a Japanese lunch.
DORA: How's your language learning going?
PETER: It's a constant challenge. But I'm enjoying the mental exercise.
A SERVER approaches and sets down a special birthday dessert in front of Peter. Peter's eyes light up.
PETER (V.O): Dora is always so thoughtful!
We see and hear Dora singing the happy birthday song to Peter. And they take selfies.
INT. LIVING ROOM - 15:15
Peter and his WIFE are seated at a table, books and notes spread out in front of them. Their elder DAUGHTER is having screen time.
PETER: I love to study Korean with you. You're so focused in learning the language.
WIFE: You don't need my help today as our Korean-speaking daughter is here.
DAUGHTER: But I've to leave in half an hour.
PETER: Okay, teach us to pronounce some of the words and phrases in our textbooks.
Repeating after their daughter's pronunciations, Peter and his wife struggle to pronounce some Korean words and phrases correctly.
DAUGHTER: Remember to really emphasize the consonants...I've to leave now.
PETER: Ugh, I just can't get the intonation right! This is so much harder than the other languages I've been studying.
WIFE: Let's have a simple pre-class dinner at home rather than going to the restaurant...
PETER: Okay, we need more time to do our revisions and prepare for the lesson this evening.
INT. SPACE, HKU - 18:30
Classroom. Peter and his wife are early birds.
PETER: Should we sit in the front?
WIFE: No, I don't want to be so exposed...
PETER: Okay...
PETER (V.O): I just want to see what would be shown on screen clearly. My eyes are aging as well...
Then, we see very young CLASSMATES entering, and soon a young Korean TEACHER.
PETER & WIFE (to Teacher): Annyeonghaseyo!
Later, the teacher leads the class in a Korean dialogue exercise.
TEACHER: Alright, everyone, let's try that again with more energy. Remember to keep your vowels crisp.
PETER (V.O): This is easier said than done.
While other students recite the dialogues with ease, Peter and his wife struggle to keep up.
TEACHER: ...and write down your answers on the worksheet.
PETER (V.O): This is hard as we can't pronounce the characters correctly.
We see Peter and his wife struggling to refer back to materials before they can fill in some of the blanks.
TEACHER: Okay, let's have a break.
Some students begin to have small talks with the teacher, sharing names and images of their Korean idols to the teacher.
PETER (V.O): I've no idea who they're. We just want to be able to communicate with the family of our son-in-law-to-be.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 23:00
Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Aging Gracefully, Learning Diligently..." to a draft.
PETER (V.O): I want to navigate the later stage of my life with poise, resilience and continued growth.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O): I want to maintain my youthful mindset and intellectual curiosity even when my body changes naturally with time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And so, I'm embracing my aging process while simultaneously pursuing lifelong learning.
FADE OUT
THE END
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