Sisyphus Boulder?
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jul 22, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 23, 2021
FADE IN.
Act 1
EXT. PETER'S NT HOME - EVENING
Balcony. Watching the good moon rising, PETER captures an image of it.
PETER (V.O.): Does the sight look like Sisyphyus' boulder rolling downhill?
Watching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Would it bounce up that high?
Watching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In Greek mythology, Sisysphus was punished for cheating death twice. He was forced to push a mega boulder up a hill and let it roll down every time it was about to reach the top. And he has to repeat his labour in eternity.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But who would associate the sight with the Sisyphus' boulder?
Pausing.
Act 2
EXT. PETER'S NT HOME - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But at least one can see the rising moon and may recall that men landed on it decades ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Apart from land, sea and air travel, one can go into space if one is rich enough these days.
FLASHBACK
INT. LAW SCHOOL - DAY (1984)
Lecture room. Peter (30) overhears something
PETER (V.O.): Oh, her final-year dissertation will be on Space Law? It doesn't sound down to earth.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She's a mature student and has a first degree from a Canadian university. She has her perspective.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Mine is really down to earth. I'll write about Land Titles and Conveyancing Problems in NT.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Prof Willoughby, my dissertation supervisor, thought my systematic exposition of NT land legal issues might contribute to knowledge.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the late 1970s, I was the Area Officer of the lot where I'm on now. I knew the land title issues with my on-the-job experience initially via squatter control.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): From 1980, I became a Land Executive, resuming Crown Land in Tuen Mun area for infrastructural development.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was reading law at HKU from 1981-1985, I was still a Land Executive on study leave.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I won my 2nd scholarship to read my 2nd LLM in UCL from 1986-1987, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to learn Air & Space Law from the living expert Prof Bin Cheng and those who are academically attached to him.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Upon graduation in 1987, I knew every aspects of Space Law in political-socio-economic contexts.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I didn't have the chance to practise it, except teaching the subject in one of my Public International Law lectures.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But now. there's the concept of New Space Economy. Start-ups, hardware and software manufacturers and data utilization companies are trying to get a share of it.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Recently, when I talked to science and technology individuals about the trend, they haven't yet identified it as a niche area.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Without identification and recognition, how could they capitalise on it and get a share of the expanding New Space Economy?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Am I just too ambitious? Are they more down to earth?
Peter continues to watch the moonrise.
Act 3
EXT. BALCONY - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): At least, there's the vision. People don't have to imagine much.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): These days are very different from the-Cowherd-and-the Weaver-Girl (牛郎織女) days.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe Hong Kong, China, should attempt to contribute on the scientific and technological front and get a share of the New Space Economy.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): If nature has been silent in responding to humankind's quest for life's meaning, time is ripe for humankind to struggle in the extraterrestrial dimension.
Focusing on his sight.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Would it be like Sisyphus pushing the mega boulder into Space?
Smiling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now, the moon does look like Sisyphyus' boulder rolling back from Space!
Peter leaves the balcony.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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