FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. STUDY - MORNING
PETER checks a Quora notification.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, someone has translated one of my recent answers into Spanish.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me check the background of the interested person.
Tapping his phone screen, Peter reads.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He's from Mexico. No wonder.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I visited Mexican City in 2012. It's a developing country.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My observations of the moments when I knew exactly what I wanted to do in my life decades ago can be instructive to some Mexicans now.
Act 2
INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS
Peter checks his original answer on the phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was asked: What was the moment you knew exactly what you wanted to do in your life?
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I thought about it, recalling three significant and connected moments when I knew exactly what I wanted to do in my life.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Before I talk about the three moments, let me give some contexts.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I inherited poverty. Before age 15, I wouldn't take part in social functions as my decent clothing was my school uniform only.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): At age 15, I began working as a part-time waiter on Sundays and holidays, when my classmates were having fun.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The 1st moment. At age 17, I knew I wanted to break away from the poverty cycle. From then on, I worked even harder, but selling labour took me nowhere.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The 2nd moment. Finding myself living to work and the messages from literatures were too vague to guide me, I knew I had to pursue Philosophy to examine life.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The 3rd moment. At age 23, I took my 1st law lecture in a diploma course. Then I knew, to become a professional, particularly in law, should be my work career.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I concluded by sharing what happened afterwards: At age 20, I broke away from the poverty cycle. At age 27, I got my BA in Philosophy. At age 31, I became a Barrister. I've been living my life authentically.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd):That was my answer, originally in English, to the question.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I had no mentor to guide me then. I learned from circumstances and guided myself.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In developed economies, people are living in a state of abundance. They don't inherit poverty.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As they don't live to work and waste life, but work to live and enjoy life, there is no urgency to change or to examine life.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While I believe many are selling their skill and judgment rather than labour, they may not live authentically though.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Living authentically has a philosophical existential connotation. It means one's words and actions are congruent with one's values and desires, despite external pressures to conformity.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While it's hard to live authentically, it's better late than never.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Once I knew exactly what I wanted to do in my life, I enhanced my capacity by learning broad and deep. I grew relatively quickly and soon I got a well-paid job.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To examine life, I studied Philosophy all by myself and passed my 8 papers in one go. Acquiring wisdom enhanced my intellectual capacity dramatically.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): After winning a scholarship, I was admitted to HKU's Law School. I also created opportunities for myself eg to study my 2nd LLM in University College London; and years later, to study leadership at Harvard Kennedy School.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Opportunities used wisely can change one's life dramatically. That's my experiential-learning legacy to the world.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It would be nice if those reading my answer, whether in English or Spanish, would become the moment or el momento they know exactly what they want to do in their lives.
Peter smiles.
.FADE OUT.
THE END
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