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Casual Greetings 淡淡問候

Peter Kam Fai Cheung SBS

FADE IN:

INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY

Wearing a Beatles' T-shirt, PETER wakes up. KAJI, his pet, comes close, licking Peter's lips and nose.

PETER (V.O.)

Today is Duanwu festival -

a public holiday. The maid is

on leave and won't prepare

any breakfast.

Picking up his iPad and pressing YouTube, Peter sees some recommended videos.

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

The Who Beatles Medley 82?

Peter taps it and a colour video clip begins to play. After hearing the introductory rock-and-roll riff, a basist sings: Well she was just seventeen, you know what I mean...

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

This cover version of the

Beatles' classic is pretty

good. The bassist plays

with a pick. Are they going

to sing a Who number?

As the stage performance on screen is about to end, Peter sees the lead singer swinging the microphone cable while the lead guitarist attempting to break the rhythm guitar.

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

These are the Who's

auto-destructive art on

live set. I see! It's the Who

covering the Beatles song!

Pausing.

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

Apart from love songs, I

write trilingual songs to

mark festivals. Not many

people have heard and

seen my Duanwu Festival

music-video, as it's only

relevant a day in a year.

FLASHBACK

INT. STUDY - DAY (2017)

Ding! Ding! Checking incoming messages, Peter sees Duanwu Festival greetings.

PETER (V.O.)

How nice it is for me to

receive these! I should

reciprocate with a festive

song.

Peter picks up his guitar.

PETER (V.O) (Cont'd)

Let me try with the

Cantonese lyrics first.

The scene: 五月五係

端午...

Pausing.

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

The challenge. Although

we don't send rice

dumplings as gifts,

we send greetings. And

so: 冇糭都有情...

Pausing.

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

A higher challenge. There's

Duanwu on the 5th of May

of the traditional Chinese

calendar every year ie

五月五又係端午, I wish

world peace 世界要和平...

Peter jots down the lyrics in his phone Notes.

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

The heart of the song.

Everlasting emotional

connection is possible,

no matter where my

friends are: 溫馨長在,

就算是在天涯!

Peter presses his phone's voice memos icon to record.

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

The first part of the Chorus,

would be the English lyrics.

I believe our role is common.

Let's row our dragon boats,

celebrate the festival,

playing our to achieve our

goals.

Strumming chords, Peter sings.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) In the latter part of the Chorus,

I'd return to the Cantonese

lyrics with 開心過節, 普通得

特別 ie open our hearts to

celebrate the festival, we

can have extraordinary out

of ordinary.

Pausing.

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

Further, our style, character

and passion ie 有風情,

有個性,又有激情 all count.

Pausing.

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

Thus a casual greeting

means a lot! 淡淡問候

不算輕 !

Accompanied by his guitar fingerings, Peter sings and records the whole song.

END FLASHBACK

In YouTube, Peter types Peter Kam Fai Cheung. Several of his music videos appear on screen.

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

Yes, this's it.

Peter watches his own music video. We hear indistinctly: 五月五係端午,冇糭都有情.五月五又係端午, 世界要和平, 溫馨長在, 就算是在天涯! Let's row our dragon boats, celebrate the festival, playing our role to achieve our goals.開心過節, 普通得特別, 有風情,有個性,又有激情.淡淡問候不算輕 !

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) Although I'm rather weak

in writing putonghua lyrics,

I love this one!

Ding! Ding! Peter checks phone message notifications.

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

Duanwu Greetings...

Yes, 淡淡問候不算輕 !

Copying and pasting the link of his music video, Peter replies.

Ding! Peter sees the message: Very special, can I circulate it to my friends?

Peter types: Thanks for the appreciation. Of course!

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

My music stuff is auto-

creative art at home. Who

would cover my festive

songs decades later?

FADE OUT. The End


 
 
 
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Fortune Chambers, 2305, Tower Two,

Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Hong Kong 

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

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