A Staycation

1. FADE IN.

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. STUDY - DAY

6. 
   

7. Staring at his computer screen, PETER looks disturbed.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): Such an investment order placement doesn't look good.

10. 
    

11. Having sent a message via his phone, Peter gets a prompt response.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I see. The value of the foreign currency I want to link has enhanced overnight.

14. 
    

15. Peter looks out of the window.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's cloudy and rainy now. Yesterday was blue sky and I had a good break from my routine.

18. 
    

19. Picking up another phone, Peter switches it on and sees an image of himself. He smiles.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.): That selfie was taken in one of my monthly vacations in 2019. I used to break my routine by travelling overseas.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I haven't travelled since March this year. I've no travel to plan. And the swimming pools have closed again.

26. 
    

27. Reading.

28. 
    

29. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a bookshop in Tsimshatsui I used to frequent in the 1970s is closing today, I thought I should visit it.

30. 
    

31. Pausing.

32. 
    

33. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, my wife drove to the office to work. I took a lift as that should reduce some travel-related health risk.

34. 
    

35. Act 2

36. 
    

37. FLASHBACK

38. 
    

39. EXT. CENTRAL - DAY

40. 
    

41. Peter walks past the St John's Cathedral.

42. 
    

43. PETER (V.O.): This is the only freehold property in Hong Kong. Christianity has been impacting on western culture.

44. 
    

45. INT. LIPPO CENTRE - DAY

46. 
    

47. Peter enters.

48. 
    

49. PETER (V.O.): Its interior design can't be compared with its external aesthetic appeal.

50. 
    

51. Peter exits.

52. 
    

53. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): In 1988 when the Centre was completed, I became a Senior Crown Counsel. Now, I've retired for over 6 years.

54. 
    

55. EXT. ADMIRALTY - DAY

57. From mid-distance, Peter looks at the HSBC building under the blue sky.

58. 
    

59. PETER (V.O.): When its construction work began in 1983, I bought my first home. The bank was my mortgagor. My mortgage interest rate rose from 10% to over 17%.

60. 
    

61. Peter walks towards to the building.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The building then was the most expensive building in the world. When it was completed, UK also passed the Hong Kong Act 1985 returning Hong Kong back to China.

64. 
    

65. EXT. HSBC BUILDING - DAY

66. 
    

67. Arriving at its open ground floor, some colourful lighting on the ground catch Peter's attention.

68. 
    

69. PETER (V.O.): Oh, in 1964, the shoreline was near the center of the building.

70. 
    

71. Recalling.

72. 
    

73. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When my family was living in Graham Street in Central before 1960, we didn't go as far as 1 Queens Road Central.

74. 
    

75. Peter takes a few photos of the shoreline.

76. 
    

77. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Admiralty then was rather remote. Man Yee building with the 1st escalators in Hong Kong was the mall in Central.

78. 
    

79. Peter walks towards the Star Ferry concourse.

80. 
    

81. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was very near. Now, it's quite far away.

82. 
    

83. EXT. STAR FERRY - DAY

84. 
    

85. Sitting at the rear of a Star ferry, Peter looks out of the window.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The harbour view of the Hong Kong island is spectacular.

89. As the ferry is crossing the harbour, Peter begins to have a good view of the Central Plaza on his right.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My son's office there overlooks the Kowloon peninsula. But he should be working from home now.

92. 
    

93. EXT. TSIMSHATSUI - DAY

94. 
    

95. Alighting the ferry, Peter walks towards the Ocean Centre.

96. 
    

97. PETER (V.O.): My office was there from 1992-1995. I had many luncheons in the hotels nearby.

98. 
    

99. Peter arrives at Lock Road.

100. 
     

101. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Ah, here's my destination.

102. 
     

103. Like OTHERS, Peter takes photos at the shop front before entering it.

104. 
     

105. INT. BOOK SHOP - DAY

106. 
     

107. Crowded.

108. 
     

109. PETER (V.O.): Well, the book display is so disorderly.

110. 
     

111. Peter grabs a few to read.

112. 
     

113. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This medical publication on epidemics and public health looks okay. When was it published?

114. 
     

115. Peter checks an inside page.

116. 
     

117. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, in 1997, a lot has changed since then.

118. 
     

119. Peter puts it back inside the bookshelf.

120. 
     

121. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, I've forgotten one thing. This environment here is high risk.

122. 
     

123. Checking his face mask, Peter leaves empty-handed.

124. 
     

125. RETURN TO PRESENT.

126. 
     

127. Act 3

128. 
     

129. INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS

130. 
     

131. Peter is watching TV.

132. 
     

133. PETER (V.O.): As it is quite troublesome and risky to travel overseas, the tourism industry is promoting "staycation".

135. Reading

136. 
     

137. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A "staycation" is a period in which one takes part in local activities that doesn't require overnight accommodation. That's fine with me, but I couldn't contribute much to the economy.

138. 
     

139. Pausing.

140. 
     

141. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To get the feel of traditional vacation, one just avoid routine. I now prefer unplanned ones.

142. 
     

143. Peter goes out.

144. 
     

145. THE END

146. 
     

147. FADE OUT.