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Writer's picturePeter K F Cheung SBS

Beaches Across Borders


  1. FADE IN


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. BEDROOM - 08:00


  4. Waking up, PETER checks the bedside clock.


  5. PETER (V.O): It's 9:00am in Japan.


  6. Stretching.


  7. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): When I was in Japan, I wouldn't wake up that late.


  8. Pausing.


  9. PETER (V.O): And I'd continue my foreign language learning.


  10. Peter takes a look of a Korean textbook and some worksheets on the bedside table.


  11. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): They're the main contents of my baggage.


  12. Peter gets out of bed.


  13. Act 2


  14. INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:00


  15. Sitting in a sofa with a mobile in hand, Peter taps the Duolingo app.


  16. PETER (V.O.): I don't want to lose my hard-earned streaks.


  17. We hear Peter muttering some words and phrases in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and German.


  18. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): What are the differences among "Der", "Die" and "Das" in German?


  19. Peter researches with his mobile.


  20. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): OMG, "Der" is used for masculine nouns, "Die" for feminine nouns and "Das" for neutral nouns.


  21. Reading.


  22. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And this grammatical gender must be learned for each individual nouns!


  23. Reading.


  24. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Learning a pencil is male, a clock is female and a car is unisex isn't easy.


  25. Peter then turns to practise French.


  26. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In July, my wife and I will explore France for about a fortnight.


  27. Later, Peter turns to practise Japanese


  28. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): When a Japanese swimmer engaged me at the Nishikinohama Beach, I could only say in Japanese: I don't speak Japanese.


  29. Later, Peter goes to a desk and begins to do worksheets in Korean.


  30. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I took HKUSPACE's Korean quiz last night. My wife's tip that I'd have ample time to complete it was very helpful.


  31. Peter's WIFE appears.


  32. WIFE: Haven't you had enough Korean?


  33. PETER: Before preparing for the quiz, I knew about only two characters out of 10. And now, I know more...


  34. Peter refocuses on the worksheets.


  35. PETER (V.O): It's still heavy-going...and my neck is sore...


  36. Peter massages his neck.


  37. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I need a good break.


  38. EXT. SILVERSTRAND BAY - 14:00


  39. We see Peter wading into the calm, crystal-clear waters and submerging himself.


  40. PETER (V.O): When the cool water washes all over me, I feel really cool.


  41. Within the swimming area, Peter swims from one corner to another, by-passing the two round floating platforms.


  42. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The strain in my neck is subsiding.


  43. Peter takes a look of the lifeguard tower at the beach.


  44. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I believe I'm being observed.


  45. MONTAGE OF PETER'S BEACH EXPERIENCE IN OSAKA


  46. A. Rinku Pebble Beach, 11:30. Walking on the uninviting shore, Peter frowns, looking unimpressed.


  47. B. Hanurazaki - Nishikonohama, 12:30. Peter gets on board, and later alights a local train.


  48. C. Nishikonohama Beach, 13.30. Peter wades into the murky waters with some floating seaweeds.


  49. D. Henna Hotel, Namba, 17:00. Bathroom, Peter is showering and bathing.

  50. END MONTAGE


  51. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): At Nishikonohama beach which is meant for swimmers, there aren't any changing rooms/bathrooms, swimming areas, shark nets, lifeguards...


  52. Act 3


  53. INT. BEDROOM - 21:00


  54. Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Beaches Across Borders" to a draft.


  55. PETER (V.O): In the midst of activities, I take time for myself, eg travelling solo or swimming alone in the sea.


  56. Thinking.


  57. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): As a Hongkonger, I've easy access to Hong Kong's beautiful beaches with full facilities. I don't need to go to beaches in other places.


  58. Reflecting.


  59. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Continuing to seek out solutions, even when faced with setbacks, can be worthwhile.


  60. FADE OUT


  61. THE END


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