top of page
Search

The Most Boring Day

Peter Kam Fai Cheung SBS

FADE IN:

EXT. ROAD - DAY

Waiting at the driver seat, PETER listens to the radio.

PETER (V.O.)

April 11, 1954 is the most

boring day since the dawn

of the 20th Century? The

answer from a computer-

answering machine,

deploying knowledge

base and semantic search

engine software. That

day, there wasn't any

significant newsworthy

events - notable births

or deaths etc.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I was only born weeks

later. But lots of things

must have happened

in a day.

INT. STUDY - DAY

Peter researches with his phone and finds some data.

PETER (V.O.)

Here are the rough data

of things that happen in

a day:

- 370,000 newborns;

- 18,000,000 birthdays; and

- 230,000,000 people will

attempt to procreate!

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

But all these won't be

amazing without my:

- 100,000 heartbeats;

- 20,000 breaths;

- 8,000 steps; and

perhaps, 1 blog post.

I create and recreate.

Peter turns on his computer and begins working on it.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

While emotions and

feelings can't be measured,

they're powerful enough

to transform a person -

can be very eventful to

many people in a day.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Would artificial intelligence

and big data become so

smart that they can predict

the most eventful day to

come? Like capturing other

images of the deformed

spacetime ie black holes?

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Even if that's probable, do

we really want to know? For nature and scientific

matters, why not? We can

keep things under control

or have something to look

forward to. For relationships...

Peter looks out of the window.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

For living things, we're

born, we grow and we

consume - our time on

Earth.

MONTAGE OF PETER NOT HAVING HIS OWN TIME

A/ Peter (15-19) works in hotels and restaurants

B/ Peter (19-20) works as a teacher in a secondary school.

C/ Peter (20-25) works in the field of housing management.

D/Peter (25-26) works in the field of land administration.

E/ Peter (31-37) works in the Attorney General's Chambers.

F/Peter (38-59) works in the Intellectual Property Department.

END MONTAGE

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

For over 41 years, I

worked full-time. Not

sure I lived to work or

worked to live. So

retirement at 60 was

good. I began to have

my own time.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I'd only do what I like.

And I realize my time

is more precious than

before. Scarcity is the

first lesson of economics.

INT. SWIMMING POOL - DAY

Peter swims freestyle lap after lap, watching the pool clock when reaching the pool wall. He sees and we hear SWIMMER#1(89) talking to SWIMMER#2 (64).

SWIMMER#1

How old are you?

I'm 89, born in 1930.

SWIMMER#2

I'm 64, born in 1955.

SWIMMER#1

I don't smoke or drink.

I don't need any walking

stick too.

PETER (V.O.)

Similar traits. What an

eventful day for me

to witness this first

hand.

Peter begins another lap in the circular lane.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Also, from the spacetime

perspective, April 11,

1954 is no longer boring,

as people including me

have talked it, making it

eventful after the fact.

Peter changes to backstrokes.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I believe the past, present

and future exist simultaneously.

Letting go our stubborn

persistent illusion about

time, we can make any

boring day in the past such

as April 11, 1954 eventful

at the present ie April 11,

2019 or in the future.

Peter gets out of the pool, looking refreshed.

FADE OUT. The End

3 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Into the Deep

FADE IN Act 1   INT. LIVING ROOM - 12:30 PETER stares at his laptop, with a weathered face and determined eyes. PETER (V.O.): I've...

Kaji: The Unseen Bond

FADE I N   A ct 1   INT. HOME - MORNING   Cozy. KAJI sits by the front door. KAJI (V.O.): My world revolves around the Pack Leader and...

  • Facebook Social Icon
  • Twitter Social Icon
  • LinkedIn Social Icon

+(852) 6819 8258

Fortune Chambers, 2305, Tower Two,

Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Hong Kong 

©2017 BY PETER KAM FAI CHEUNG. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM

bottom of page