Dreamtime Dilemmas
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Aug 3, 2024
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 22:00
Waking up in bed, PETER checks the bedside clock.
PETER (V.O): It's 10pm.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Having slept for three hours, I feel refreshed.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It's the power of the power nap.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In May this year, my younger son talked about it when he strived to have lunch with my wife and me, soon after an overnight shift in a hospital.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Would I be having dreamtime dilemmas hours later?
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. LIVING ROOM - 02:30
Peter joins his night-owl WIFE who is working on a laptop.
PETER: I can't go to sleep.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Not sure if the jet-lag or the green tea during dinner.
WIFE: I'm checking an alterative hotel accommodation in Hokkaido in late August. The one we've initially booked doesn't have parking facility.
PETER: Oh yes, I still have to follow up with our complaint to the Colmar Tourism Office in France.
WIFE: Don't let it spoil our visit to mainland China from this Saturday...
PETER: But the 4-star Le Marechal Hotel in Colmar shouldn't have misrepresented its no-star room in its unlicensed annex as 4-star!
Peter begins to draft something on his mobile.
PETER (Cont'd): Colmar is a beautiful French town, but the practice of the Hotel is sharp, presenting challenging dilemmas during our stay about 10 days ago.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Did you recall I take a snapshot of a graffiti in Colmar - "the Shame of France"?
INT. BEDROOM - 04:00
Peter sits up in bed.
PETER (V.O): As I still can't sleep, let me practise learning foreign languages until I feel sleepy.
We hear Peter mumbling some Spanish. And then we see Peter looking excited.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Oh, I've got my 100-day streak! Let me share it to motivate myself and possibly others.
Then, we hear Peter mumbling some French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Korean.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I feel very tired.
Checking the clock, Peter sees "06:00"
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I've a professional appointment at 11:30...Would I be able to wake up in good time?
Peter sets alarms in his mobiles.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I worry that they might not work...I often turn them mute and forget to unmute them.
Peter falls asleep. Later, at 07:45, we hear mobile alarms ringing. Peter wakes up reluctantly.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I haven't slept much, but it's better than to have no sleep at all.
MONTAGE OF PETER'S SUBSEQUENT ACTIVITIES
A. Interview room, 11:30. With the assistance of an INTERPRETER, Peter sees a CLIENT.
B. Restaurant, 13:30. Peter and his wife are enjoying Roast Goose Noodles in Soup.
C. K11 Musea, 14:45. As his wife posing with Doraemon and Friends, Peter captures images of them.
D. Artisan Lounge, K11, 17:30. Peter and his wife are having Doraemon tea sets.
END MONTAGE
EXT. ROADS - 18:00
Sitting in the lower deck of a moving bus alone, Peter is about to doze off.
PETER (V.O): I let my wife carry on with her shopping. I'm exhausted.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 23:00
Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Dreamtime Dilemmas..." to a draft.
PETER (V.O): I've just had dinner. Sleep and work-life balances have been challenges to me.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Practical strategies like power naps can help maintain my productivity and well-being.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Aiming to be better, my life oscillates between the pointy horns of dilemmas.
FADE OUT
THE END
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