Word Choice

1. FADE IN.

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. STUDY - DAY

6. 
   

7. PETER checks phone notifications.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): Here is a Quoran's answer request: How could New Zealand eliminate the coronavirus? The Quoran must have watched the claim of New Zealand.

10. 
    

11. Pausing.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): "Eliminate" means the process of getting rid of something.

14. 
    

15. Peter surfs the web.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): "Eradicate" means the complete destruction of something.

18. 
    

19. Pausing.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The fact is just that New Zealand has no active coronavirus case at the moment.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then the New Zealand government interprets the fact and says they have eliminated the coronavirus.

26. 
    

27. Pausing.

28. 
    

29. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is New Zealand's word choice a caring one during pandemic times?

31. Act 2

32. 
    

33. INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS

34. 
    

35. Thinking.

36. 
    

37. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In communications, the word choice elevates the audience's consciousness and resonates in higher frequencies.

38. 
    

39. Pausing.

40. 
    

41. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me see WHO's word choice...

42. 
    

43. Reter surfs the web.

44. 
    

45. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Here's a recent news release from WHO on "Commemorating Smallpox Eradication - a legacy of hope for CONVID-19 and other diseases".

46. 
    

47. Pausing.

48. 
    

49. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So eradication is the professional word choice.

50. 
    

51. Reading.

52. 
    

53. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It also says smallpox "had plagued humanity for at least 3000 years, killing 300 million people in the 20th century alone."

54. 
    

55. Pondering.

56. 
    

57. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I recall when I was a kid, I got vaccinated against smallpox.

58. 
    

59. FLASHBACK

60. 
    

61. INT. CLINIC - DAY (1959)

62. 
    

63. PETER (5) stares at a NURSE (20s) dipping her two-pronged needle into some solution. As the needle holds a droplet of the solution, the nurse uses it to prick on Peter's upper arm for a number of times for a few seconds.

64. 
    

65. PETER (V.O.): The needle she holds is different. It looks like a wood carving tool. Unlike a painful shot, she just draws a few short lines on my skin.

66. 
    

67. Days later.

68. 
    

69. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The site where the nurse pricked has become very itchy. I've to bear with it. I've seen people wearing a disfigured smallpox face.

70. 
    

71. END FLASHBACK

72. 
    

73. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I also recall that, when eating, my grandma would remind me to finish with every bit of rice in my rice bowl. She said that I didn't have the habit, I'll marry a woman with a disfigured smallpox face.

74. 
    

75. Recalling.

76. 
    

77. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That was a very effective reminder.

78. 
    

79. Smiling.

80. 
    

81. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wouldn't recall the memories but for the current coronavirus pandemic.

82. 
    

83. Reading.

84. 
    

85. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And just months after the coronavirus outbreaks here and there, New Zealand made high-profile interpretation that it had eliminated the coronavirus, giving others false hope. Let me check New Zealand's coronavirus statistics

86. 
    

87. Peter surfs the web.

88. 
    

89. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): New Zealand has 1504 coronavirus cases and 22 deaths in a population of 4.8 million.

90. 
    

91. Pausing.

92. 
    

93. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hong Kong has 1108 cases and 4 deaths in a population of 7.4 million.

94. 
    

95. Thinking.

96. 
    

97. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Although Hong Kong has been importing new cases, it hasn't reached the New Zealand statistics yet.

98. 
    

99. Reflecting.

100. 
     

101. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): New Zealand's coronavirus mortality rate is 4.5% per 1 million population, while Hong Kong is 0.5%.

102. 
     

103. Pausing.

104. 
     

105. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The respective outcome reflect the general standard of health care between New Zealand and Hong Kong. New Zealand hasn't done that well when compared to Hong Kong.

106. 
     

107. Pausing.

108. 
     

109. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My main concern is my death risk. Factually, Hong Kong is 9 times safer than New Zealand. I don't have any urge to travel down under.

111. Thinking.

112. 
     

113. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Seeking the political credit aside, New Zealand is sending a wrong message and doing a disservice to the international community.

114. 
     

115. Act 3

116. 
     

117. INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS

118. 
     

119. Peter watches breaking news. A DOCTOR (50s) is speaking on screen.

120. 
     

121. PETER (V.O.): WHO's general response is that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over.

122. 
     

123. Pausing.

124. 
     

125. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The global situation isn't improving, but worsening, particularly in the Americas and South Asia.

126. 
     

127. Pausing.

128. 
     

129. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The biggest threat the countries and territories that seem to be doing well now is complacency.

130. 
     

131. Peter watches a video clip on his phone.

132. 
     

133. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): WHO's DG says it isn't for "any country to take the foot off the pedal." That's the authentic response.

135. Thinking.

136. 
     

137. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Yes, it's hard to change anyone who doesn't see an issue with his/her actions. The public was misled and WHO has responded. I had better save my time rather than caring the uncaring word choice of New Zealand.

138. 
     

139. Peter continues watching TV.

140. 
     

141. FADE OUT.

142. 
     

143. THE END