Stitch by Stitch
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jun 25, 2022
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
EXT. STREET/PARK - 08:30
Building entrance. PETER's WIFE is about to enter.
PETER: I'll wait for you in the nearby park where there's a sewing machine sculpture.
WIFE: Okay, I'll go there to find you.
Arriving in a park, Peter sees the public art under the morning sunshine.
PETER (V.O.): This is what I want to see. I walked past here occasionally, but I've never stopped to enjoy the environment.
Peter captures the public art from different angles.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Public art is meant to stimulate thinking about art and society, about our interconnected lives.
We then see a plague on the ground: Stitching Memories.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, we've collective memories, sewn stitch by stitch.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. HOME, TIN SUM SAN TSUEN - DAY (1963)
Peter (9) is learning to sew small shiny discs onto clothing.
PETER (V.O.): Everybody is doing it to earn a few dollars.
Sewing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Beautiful stuff come together one stitch at a time.
Peter checks his sewing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I doubt those buying sparkly sequins would choose the one sewn by me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Our neighbour has a manual sewing machine. It looks fun and games to me. The fast-moving needle doesn't bother her.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My family didn't have a sewing machine. Years ago, I bought a toy sewing machine. It's still brand new.
END FLASHBACK
Sitting in a bench under the shade not far away from the public art, Peter takes a photo.
PETER (V.O.): Let me send it to my wife so that she'll know my location.
Having sent the image with his smart phone, Peter turns to Quora.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Everyday, I've several dozens of answer requests. I use the Ouora social platform to share and gain knowledge.
Scrolling, Peter reads questions and types answers.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's my way to help people from all over the world.
Checking other notifications.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And everyday, many of my answers are shared by other Quorans in their Spaces, cascading my messages.
Smiling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'd re-read them as I'm often amazed by my own answers.
Later, Peter sees his wife appearing in front of him.
PETER: So quick!
WIFE: No, it's been a while.
INT. STUDIO - 16:00
Following tabs on screen, Peter is playing white electric bass guitar.
PETER (V.O.): There're so many online lessons that one can learn almost anything with any handheld device.
Playing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As competition has become global, the quality of the knowledge transfer has become better.
Playing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For my reviews and photos posted as a Google Local Guide, I've got millions and millions of views. I'm gratified just to know that I've helped others.
Playing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As to my contributions on Quora, I don't want to monetize on them as I treat them like voluntary services.
Playing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Incidentally, my voluntary work for HKUST has become heavier than before.
Playing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've told my wife that I'll definitely retire by 2025.
Act 3
INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS
Peter is working on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): Communication technology hasn't only eliminated the cost of physical communication, it has also unlocked the value of time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Collective thinking has become viable and it can help all to achieve transformational change for a just and sustainable future.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Embracing multiple points of views could enable all to come up with sophisticated strategies to resolve global issues.
From Google Photos, Peter clicks an image of a sewing-machine sculpture.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In a post-modern way, we can sew humanity stitch by stitch, beautifully.
THE END
FADE OUT
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