Cambodian Talents
- Peter Kam Fai Cheung SBS
- Nov 12, 2018
- 3 min read
FADE IN:
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Phone alert. PETER sees on the screen a video clip depicting a HAWKER BOY in a red T-shirt. He presses the play arrow. A hawker boy with a small tray of merchandise begins to walk with us.
HAWKER BOY
(In Mandarin)
I can speak Cantonese, Mandarin,
English, Thai, Japanese, Korean,
French...
We hear the voice of a WOMAN speaking in French and the hawker boy responds the French way.
WOMAN (O.S.)
(in Cantonese)
Whah! How about Cantonese?
We see and hear the hawker boy speaking fluent Cantonese.
And then we hear the Woman switching to Japanese and the hawker boy says in Japanese his merchandise are cute.
HAWKER BOY
(Pleading in Mandarin)
C'mon, buy one piece at US$1?
WOMAN (O.S.)
(In Mandarin)
I've already bought some from
your friends.
We can see the hawker boy is walking barefoot. Then we hear the woman talking and bargaining with him in Thai, as the hawker boy shows more souvenir magnets.
HAWKER BOY
(Tipping the balance in Mandarin)
I sing you a Chinese song.
And he sings a song about hawking with heart.
WOMAN (O.S.)
(Impressed)
Wow!
HAWKER BOY
(Bow a little)
Okay. Xie, xie. Buy one please!
WOMAN (O.S.)
Okay! Okay!
HAWKER BOY
(in Mandarin)
Five for US$2!
We see a hand selecting souvenir magnets all with the country name: "CAMBODIA". We also hear the woman chatting with the hawker boy in Spanish. After counting one to ten in Spanish; and the hawker boy counts in German again.
WOMAN (O.S.)
Who taught you all these?
HAWKER BOY
I learn from the tourists.
WOMAN (O.S.)
Tourists?!
HAWKER BOY
I can also speak Filipino...
And he begins to speak in Filipino.
WOMAN (O.S.)
Can you speak Malay?
Nodding, the hawker boy speaks some. We hear the woman responding in Malay as the hawker boy passes over ten pieces of souvenir magnets cheerfully.
PETER (V.O.)
It's hard to earn a living. I
knew that. It's nice that the
woman can bring out the
the hawker boy's talents.
We see Peter commenting with Strong Arm and Thumbs-up signs.
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Sitting sits by side with his WIFE, Peter notices that the image of the same video clip appears on his wife's phone.
PETER
Play it.
And they watch the video together, showing admiration.
WIFE
He's a Cambodian.
PETER
I remember the rural road.
It's in the vicinity of Angkor
Wat. We went in 2013.
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - NIGHT
Phone alert. Somebody sends Peter the same video clip. He watches it again.
PETER (V.O.)
I was already 15 when I
picked up a few Japanese
words like tea or coffee
from hotel waiter colleagues
and practised them at
work.
We see Peter keying: "When I was about his age, I was barefoot too. Got an urge to re-visit Cambodia and give him more support!"
After a little while.
PETER (Cont'd)(V.O.)
I must document such nearly
forgotten moments.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Peter works on the computer, finds a photo and inserts it as a feature photo of a short screenplay.
PETER (V.O.)
When I passed through that
road in 2013, I had a snapshot
of a girl, drawing on the soil.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd)(V.O.)
We all have our own talents.
To break the poverty cycle,
perseverance is the key, in
my experience.
FADE OUT.
The End