FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 8:15
Holding an iPhone with a yellowish plastic cover and a torn glass screen protector, PETER is learning French via Duolingo.
PETER (V.O): Among the foreign languages I'm learning for fun, I'm pretty comfortable with French.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In 1974, when I began working full time as a Housing Assistant in Kwai Shing Estate, I wanted to learn something extra.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Then, a colleague talked about French from time to time. So, I took up French in an evening school in Kowloon.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Having had a feel of it, I stopped. I didn't envisage that I'd speak or write the language.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Considering whether Hong Kong should join the Madrid Agreement (French as the working language), I learned French again in the 2000s.
Act 2
EXT. CAR PARK, SILVERSTRAND - 11:15
Having parked his red Nissan 200SX in a lot, STRANGER#1 approaches Peter, eyeing at his coupe.
STRANGER#1: Is it a 1990 model?
PETER: It's 1988, I got it in 1989, having mortgaged my apartment to pay for it.
STRANGER#1: Wow! It's still beautiful.
PETER: It's hard to maintain...I once waited for six months to mine a spare clutch internationally.
Walking past Peter's coupe, STRANGER#2 and STRANGER#3 nod in approval.
STRANGER#2: It's a vintage coupe...
PETER (V.O): My late wife Sharon drove it. And our new-born son came home with it...
INT. MAIL CENTRE, KOWLOON BAY - 15:00
Joining a guided tour, Peter and his WIFE observe postmen and machines sorting mails.
PETER: It's like a factory.
WIFE: Sorting mail was my first temporary job.
PETER: When was that?
WIFE: In 1983. Finding a job was hard then.
PETER: Yes, Hong Kong's future was uncertain...
PETER (Cont'd): In 1981, I wanted to become a postman... I couldn't bear waiting for the postman to deliver a possible letter for my admission to HKU.
INT. HKUSPACE - 17:00
Reception. Peter watches his wife paying a fee from afar.
PETER (V.O): My wife scored a distinction in Introductory Korean and can proceed to the next level.
Watching.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): As I didn't score 50% in the final close-book exam, I can't proceed further. Actually, I prefer learning via the AI-assisted Duolingo app.
INT. GOODS PICK-UP POINT - 18:00
Filled with small and big bags in blue. Peter gets a small parcel from a STAFF.
PETER (V.O): Four days ago, I asked my wife to order mobile covers and screen protectors from Taobao for me. Now, they're all in my hands!
INT. STUDY - 18:15
We see Peter wasting no time to replace his old mobile covers and torn screen protectors with new ones.
PETER (V.O): Before ordering them, I thought about buying a new mobile...but I still have to old ones with me.
Admiring his mobiles with new covers and screens.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Now, they look brand new to me! I'm very impressed with the operations of mainland logistics.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): On the 4/F of the mail centre, my wife and I saw a floor of robots that are meant to sort mails and parcels robotically.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): But we observed that only a few robots were working while the rest weren't doing anything.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And as soon as we turned our backs, the show ended right away. What a farce!
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:30
Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Echoes of Yesterday ..." to a draft in his Surface.
PETER (V.O): I often reflect on my past experiences and relationships.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I also feel the clash between nostalgia and contemporary life.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): My stories are whispers of the past and echoes of the future.
FADE OUT
THE END
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