More Time On My Own

FADE IN:

INT. STUDY- DAY

PETER checks his incoming mails,

PETER (V.O.)

Here's an airline reminder.

Yes, I'll be flying to Ishigaki

on Monday, June 17.

Peter checks his calendar.

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

I'm flying out to Sydney on

Saturday, June 29 and then

to Melbourne on July 1.

FLASHBACK

INT. JOCKEY CLUB - NIGHT

As a University talk finishes, LADIES and GENTLEMEN take their seats at dinning tables nearby.

Sitting next to a GENTLEMAN (75+), Peter talks to him humbly.

PETER

Hi Joe... when you're

STI, I, from the Dept,

worked very closely

with your PT during

the trade negotiations

in the late 1980s. Hong

Kong then played a

a high profile.

GENTLEMAN

Hong Kong has a say

in the WTO.

PETER

Subsequently, I personally

benefitted from it.

The gentleman looks curious.

PETER (Cont'd)

I was appointed as a WTO Panelist to settle

disputes between US

v EU, and Australia v

EU.

The gentleman looks pleased.

PETER

In WIPO, I spoke on

behalf of Hong Kong

in General Assemblies.

GENTLEMAN

Do you now focus your

practice in any field?

PETER

It's market-driven. I simply

do what I'm briefed to do.

The gentleman smiles as he shakes his head sideways a little.

PETER (V.O.)

Yes, I know they can't be

compared with any of my

past assignments.

PETER

Like you, I've been

contributing to HKUST.

GENTLEMAN

Yet, we've to leave some

time on our own.

END FLASHBACK

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

That has been resonating

in my mind. Soon, I booked

my Australian trip.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) A good decision I made

since turning 60 was to

travel at least once a

month. For my earlier

trips, I focused on China.

Pausing.

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

My most memorable

trip was to Jiuzhaigou

in Jan, 2015. It was so

cold that a bottle of water

would turn into ice if left

inside a coach overnight.

Pausing.

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

I documented the then

sights and sounds in my

short movie: Heavens On

Earth. Apart from connecting

the natural beauty, my side

objective was to disseminate

the message that such

harmony, tranquility and

oneness may go away

due to climate change

Pausing.

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

But nature works in its

mysterious ways and that

a 2017 earthquake there

has destroyed some of

the world's heritage.

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

There're many things on

Earth that we love to hold

onto but they're passing as

time is ticking.

Telephone ring tones. Peter picks up the phone to say Hello.

CALLER

(From Phone)

Mr Cheung, can you accept

a 2-day brief...?

PETER

(To Phone)

Well, the dates clash with my

holiday and volunteering

work schedule. Please

decline.

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

I'll have a little less money

to leave behind, but more

time on my own now.

Pausing.

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

Before I love myself more,

let me finish writing the

outstanding domain-name

dispute settlement

decision.

Peter begins to work on his computer.

FADE OUT. The End