Discipline, Interrupted

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   FADE IN

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3. Act 1

5. INT. STUDY - 12:00

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7. Sitting on a sofa, PETER is surrounded by stacks of books, bank statements and a collection of old phones. He holds a Nokia

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9. PETER (V.O.): I've already done my daily Duolingo streaks in six languages with other phones.

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11. On the black screen, we see the tiny white display: Shutting down.

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13. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Come on, you've helped me to learn Italian for over 300 days.

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15. Pausing.

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17. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've been charging you, but it seems that you don't want to be charged. Is there a problem with your CPU?

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19. Peter presses the power button. The phone starts slowly but shuts quickly again.

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21. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Even if I want to Reset and give up all the data, I don't have a chance.

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23. Peter changes the Nokia's charging cable.

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25. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I know I can use other phones to learn Italian, but I don't want to give you up.

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27. Act 2

29. EXT. STREET - 13:45

30. 
    

31. Quiet. Walking past a tutorial school, Peter notices quotes displayed in large letters in the window.

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33. PETER (V.O) : "Successful people are all self-disciplined'"...yes, self-discipline is a necessary condition for success.

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35. Peter reads on.

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37. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): "Self-disciplined people are all successful"...no, self-discipline isn't a sufficient condition for success, as it often depends on opportunities and support.

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39. Pausing.

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41. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I don't know if the tutors and tutees appreciate the logical distinction between the statements.

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43. Pausing.

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45. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In my experience, while self-dicipline may make a person right, still s/he has to be in the right place at the right time to succeed.

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47. INT. SWIMMING POOL - 15:00

48. 
    

49. Changing room. Peter stands in front of a row of lockers.

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51. PETER (V.O): I didn't intend to come here, but the swimming pools I wanted to visit are closed for weekly cleaning.

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53. Changing.

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55. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In the evening, my wife and I would walk our family pet. And after dinner, I'd write my daily short screenplay, reflecting on my day's experiences.

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57. INT. PUBLIC LIBRARY - 16:00

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59. Shelves filled with periodicals and newspapers. A wet-haired Peter sits comfortably at a wooden table, flipping through the pages of a South China Morning Post.

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61. PETER (V.O): Since X'mas of 1969, I've never stopped learning anything. However, since the on-set of COVID-19, I've been reading fewer newspapers.

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63. INT. STUDY - 18:00

64. 
    

65. Working before his laptop, Peter scratches his head.

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67. PETER (V.O): After being interrupted by accidental mass deletions last night, I'm unsure how to resume my decluttering of emails, attachments, photos and video clips.

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69. Pausing.

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71. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've been decluttering my NT home for over 10 years, yet there's still much more to accomplish.

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73. Peter stares at the screen.

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75. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And I've never had the discipline to declutter my digital files until yesterday, when I found myself unable to send any Hotmail.

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77. Pausing.

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79. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And I've been using my Hotmail account for all my professional communications...I've to send something tomorrow.

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81. Agonising.

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83. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Renting more storage is a quick fix...the monthy storage cost is minimal.

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85. Pausing.

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87. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Years ago, I thought about having a file management discipline, but interruptions or my own laziness always got in the way.

88. 
    

89. Pausing.

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91. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): If I get more storage in One Drive, I know I won't develop the necessary discipline, and I want to aviod that.

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93. Ringtones. Peter picks up the call.

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95. WIFE (from phone): Time to walk our pet...

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97. Peter puts aside the laptop.

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99. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've trained myself to respond quickly. Should I apply the same discipline to maintain my life's messiness?

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101. Act 3.

103. INT. STUDY - 21:45

105. Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Discipline, Interrupted..." to a draft on his laptop.

107. PETER (V.O): Discipline is choosing between what I want now and what I want most. I pondered over that while walking the pet.

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

111. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The interruptions of life aren't the end of discipline - they're the test of it. So, I moved the large files from One Drive to the empty local disc. 

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113. Reflecting.

115. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The beauty of discipline isn't in its perfection but in its persistence, even when interrupted. And I've checked that I can send Hotmail again.

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117. FADE OUT

119. THE END