Life Struggles

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. STUDIO - 18: 00

6. 
   

7. Watching an online piano tutorial, PETER is playing an old Clavinova.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): What I get out of it depends on how I play it.

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11. Pausing.

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13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It may be that the slower I go, the faster I'll get there.

14. 
    

15. Resting, Peter grabs his smart phone.

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17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Whenever I take a break, I'd learn some Japanese words and phrases.

18. 
    

19. Peter begins to follow online Japanese tutorial lessons.

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21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'd have picked up playing piano and speaking Japanese a long time ago.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But it's better late than never.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. FLASHBACK

30. 
    

31. EXT. CASTLE PEAK HOTEL - DAY (1969)

32. 
    

33. Open-air sea-view cafe. Peter (15), in a waiter outfit, is serving soft drinks to a group of Japanese TOURISTS.

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35. PETER (V.O.): The captain has taught me how to say "Coke" "7-Up", "Juice" "Coffee" and "Tea" in Japanese.

36. 
    

37. Working.

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39. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've no problem in doing my job.

40. 
    

41. Pausing.

42. 
    

43. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The tour guides have taught me how to say "Please" and some dirty words in Japanese.

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45. END FLASHBACK

46. 
    

47. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In my recent trip to Japan, I spoke more Japanese than ever.

48. 
    

49. Pausing.

50. 
    

51. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My wife thought I'd mislead the locals that I understood them.

52. 
    

53. Pausing.

54. 
    

55. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's true, as I can only speak the very little Japanese that I understand.

56. 
    

57. Pausing.

58. 
    

59. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I can say politely in Japanese to them that I don't understand Japanese.

60. 
    

61. Pausing.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wouldn't assume those Japanese serving us can speak English.

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65. Recalling.

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67. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): One petrol-filling station staff struggled with his English and said "Very Thank You!" to us!

68. 
    

69. Recalling.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While my wife and I were in Dogo, Shikoku, we checked in an old western-style hotel.

72. 
    

73. FLASHBACK

74. 
    

75. INT. AUBERGE DOGO, SHIKOKU - 08:00 (29 March 2023)

76. 
    

77. Restaurant 1/F, Appearing, Peter and his WIFE observe the environment. Peter looks very pleased.

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79. PETER: Darling, look at the seats.

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81. WIFE: Old-fashioned.

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83. PETER: Their look and feel are the same as those in the Castle Peak Hotel - where I worked from the late 1960s to the early 1970s.

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85. WIFE: So what?

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87. PETER: During my matriculation years from 1971-1972, I worked part-time in the Hotel after school from 16:30 - 23:00.

88. 
    

89. Pausing.

90. 
    

91. PETER (Cont'd): I slept on such seats inside a tearoom. I extended my bed by adding a chair to the seat.

92. 
    

93. Recalling.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.): Some of the staff were amazed that I could study and work every day.

96. 
    

97. RETURN TO PRESENT

98. 
    

99. Recalling.

100. 
     

101. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I play the piano now, I'd visualize how my late wife Sharon was teaching her loyal student...

102. 
     

103. Act 3

104. 
     

105. INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As I look back on my life, every struggle is a blessing. It has shaped me into the person I'm today.

109. Pausing.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Although struggles don't guarantee success, they make me smarter in dealing with situations.

112. 
     

113. Pausing.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Enduring and resolving life struggles enable me to discover who and what I really am.

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117. FADE OUT

118. 
     

119. THE END