FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. STUDY - DAY
PETER is staring at the TV screen.
PETER (V.O.): Usually, I'm out of town around this time in August.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A year ago today, I'd have never captured my day as it is now.
Checking his phone images.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Last August 18, I was still touring in Miyakojima.
Peter looks out of the window.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was also a cloudy morning. The day before was blue sky.
Checking images.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I saw and touched pristine waters readily.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, the weather doesn't pay much attention to my preference.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Weather is just like life, changing all the time.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. HOTEL SOUTH ISLAND, IRUBA ISLAND - DAY
Peter is having Japanese breakfast.
PETER (V.O.): It's raining. There's no fun to go sightseeing. I'll stay here until its check-out time at 11 am.
Finishing his breakfast, Peter walks around the premises and takes a few photos.
A beat.
Peter is checking out at the cashier.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): My next destination is another hotel in Miyakojima. The check-in time is 2 pm. Where should I go?
In T-shirt, shorts and flip flops, Peter gets in his white car under the rain.
EXT. ROADS, IRUBA ISLAND - DAY
Driving in the heavy rain, Peter sees flooding in front of him.
PETER (V.O.): What a surprise! This road leads to the Miyako Shimojishima Airport - one of the two Airports in Miyakojima.
Peter drives past the flooding section at tortoise speed.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm glad that I've made it. The car is alright.
EXT. CAR PARK, IRABU-OHASHI BRIDGE - DAY
Having parked his car near the entrance of the long bridge, Peter stays inside the car.
PETER (V.O.): Yesterday was sunny. There were some cars and tourists. Some Japanese girls even swam in a small bay near the bridge.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wasn't that prepared. But I had a feel of the pristine water.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While waiting for the rain to stop, I can respond to some Quorans' answer requests.
A beat. The rain stops. Peter gets out of the car and walks towards a lookout.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Now, just me, the sand and the sea. The view after the rain is moody.
EXT. MIYAKO DAIICHI HOTEL, MIYAKOSHIMA - DAY
From a room, Peter looks out of the window.
PETER (V.O.): The scattered showers have just stopped. It's nearly 4 pm. I'd go out quick. There's a tropical botanical garden nearby.
EXT. TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN - DAY
After touring around the horses' stables, Peter sees tropical plants, and a bird's-eye view of a big tropical forest.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I like to see big papayas hanging on the trees. When I was a kid living in NT, I planted papaya trees and harvested papayas.
Peter walks up to a lookout.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Wow, the tropical forest can be a film location of nature.
Checking time.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): As the garden is closing, let me go to the top sight in Miyakojima.
EXT. YONAHA MAEHAMA BEACH - DAY
Having parked the car, Peter rushes to the beach.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Fortunately, I can park in the relatively small car park.
Walking along a stretch of white sand, Peter sees a nylon folding bed in a distance.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was living alone in Kam Tin doing full-time teaching from 1973-1974, I slept on a bed like that.
Depositing his T-shirt and shorts on it, Peter takes off his flip flops and goes swimming.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I must swim this time. I hope there aren't jelly fish here.
Occasionally keeping an eye on his belongings from the sea, Peter is ecstatic in the twilight.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The weather does know my preference after all.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.): Life was so different this time last year.
Peter takes a deep breath.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.): Yes, a lot can happen in a year.
Calculating on this phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): 365 days are 8760 hours. Hours seem to pass quicker than days and months. Seemingly different speeds aside, they all pass fast.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Due to the pandemic, I've suspended my monthly travels for six months already. What would the beach scene look like this summer?
Peter researches with his phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): "Too many people even in the midst of the pandemic"?
Peter smiles.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): COVID-19 vaccination should be available in Spring 2021. I'm hopeful that I can travel again this time next year.
Pondering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Meanwhile, I reckon that masterpieces of anything are formed by many tiny parts.
THE END
FADE OUT.

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