Streaks and Screens
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. STUDY - 11:30
Cluttered. A Nokia smartphone in hand, PETER repeats some Italian aloud.
PETER (V.O): Come on! Let me complete today's streak first...
As he hears the sound of notification, Peter checks his streaks, sighing in relief.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): 268...Under my account name Peitro, I've been using it to learn Italian for 267 days.
Peter checks the phone's battery level at 35%.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Yesterday, I managed to have it charged nearly full one more time.
Connecting the phone to the charging cable, Peter checks the result.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It isn't charging. I've to bring it to the repairer again. I hope it can be fixed today as I don't want to lose my streaks.
Clutching the Nokia to his chest, Peter exits.
Act 2
INT. MALL - 12:30
Cellphone repair stall. Peter arrives and sees the REPAIRER.
PETER: Happy New Year!
The repairer sees Peter holding on his Nokia like a prized possession.
REPAIRER: Something's wrong with your Nokia again?
PETER: I need this fixed again...It's my lifeline... I can't lose my streaks on Duolingo...
Having inspected the phone, the repairer shakes his head.
REPAIRER: It's not worth repairing...
Peter's face falls. Anyhow, he passes a $100 note to the repairer
PETER (V.O): My "lai see" without the red packet.
Peter leaves.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I need a new one. Right now!
Cellphone stalls. Walking past, Peter glances at the new smartphones on display, but then he hesitates.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I must cool down...I still have four functioning smartphones and two iPad Minis.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): My original intention was to put them to good use...
Recalling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Carrying them all with me while travelling has been a headache.
INT. STUDY - 14:30
Deep in thought, Peter stares at the screens of devices surrounding him like loyal solders.
PETER (V.O): Having watched the movie Toy Story many times, I love to believe they come to life when I'm not present.
Taking out the Nokia's sim card, Peter inserts it into one of the double-sim slots of his Redmi and taps the Duoliingo app on screen.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I don't see Pietro...
Then, a lightbulb moment.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Oh, my Duolingo accounts aren't linked to the sim cards but to my email accounts!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Why can't I use just one device to include all my Duolingo accounts?
Smiling.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Stupid is as stupid does.
Peter begins to add his accounts under the names of Pierre, Pedro...
EXT. PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL - 17:00
Crowded. Peter swims carefully, avoiding other young and energetic SWIMMERS.
PETER (V.O): I come late today...I don't want them to kick me inadvertantly.
EXT. RIVERSIDE PARK - 19:00
While Peter's WIFE walks KAJI, the family pet, Peter stands at a corner, practising Korean on Duolingo.
PETER (V.O): And after maintaining my streaks in Korean, I've to do Japanese, French, German and Portungese, and Spanish.
Peter repeats some Korean aloud.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 22:30
Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Streaks and Screens..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): "Streaks" refers to my commitment to maintaining language-learning progress, while "Screens" highlights the reliance on technology.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): My struggle of juggling multiple devices and my desire to maintain progress in my language pursuits have now been resolved.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): When faced with challenges, it's important to be flexible and open to new solutions. Like DeepSeek, less can be more.
FADE OUT
THE END
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