Weekday Holidays
FADE IN:
EXT. ROAD - DAY
PETER and his WIFE are inside their SMART car.
WIFE
When will you set off
tonight?
PETER
Around 10pm. See if
we could have dinner
together before I go.
MONTAGE OF PETER'S JOURNEY TO WAKAYAMA AND OSAKA AREAS IN MAY 2019.
A/ A wet night. Peter gets on a Route E22 bus and looks a bit shocked to find that he only needs to pay $2.
B/ Inside a Jetstar plane, Peter sits at 2A.
C/ At Narita Airport, Peter gets his boarding pass to Kansai Airport.
D/ In flight, Peter sees clouds clearing and the sun emerging.
E/ At Kansai, Peter gets on board a train.
F/ Getting off from Kada Station, Peter walks towards the sea.
END MONTAGE
EXT. VILLAGE ROAD - DAY
With hand to forehead, Peter looks out to the distance under the sun.
PETER (V.O.)
I'm glad that it's such
a sunny day!
FLASHBACK
INT. STUDY - DAY
As he packs, Peter takes time to surf the web.
PETER (V.O.)
Oh, it'd rain. Just hope
that when I set off, the
rain would have already
gone away. I want to see
sunset by the sea.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) I believe my objective
of coming here can be
met.
Peter serves the web with this smart phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The sun sets at 6.58 pm.
EXT. CONVENTIONAL RESORT - SUNSET
Beautiful sunset. Peter is busy with his photography. So are other GUESTS.
INT. RESTAURANT - SUNSET
Peter takes a photo of the sight before finding his name plate on a dinner table.
PETER (V.O.)
The ambience reminds me
of my teenage working days
at the Castle Peak Hotel.
A WAITRESS and a WAITER serve Peter.
INT. ONSEN - NIGHT
Open-aired. Steam over water and wave sounds. Peter looks to the sea as he bathes.
PETER (V.O.)
Since retirement, I've
enjoyed more of this. As
a senior citizen now, I
deserve the finer things
of life.
INT. ONSEN - MORNING
Peter bathes in a different and bigger one.
PETER (V.O.)
Seaview and onsen are
the main attractions of
this resort. I must bath
one more time before
checking out.
EXT. CONVENTIONAL RESORT - DAY
Blue sky decorated with clouds as if drawn by an impressionistic painter.
PETER (V.O.)
This is beyond my
expectation!
Peter and other guests are busy taking photos and selfies.
PETER (V,O,) (Con't'd)
I'm not in a hurry to leave.
Let me explore this place
by walking by the sea.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Facilities are closed. Not a soul except Peter.
PETER (V.O.)
It's May and the temperature
is about 27 degree C...
Peter then sees a colourful directional sign post.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Let me use it to colour
the beach in my photos and
video clips. Let me make
something out of something.
INT. KADA STATION - DAY
Peter sits on a bench.
PETER (V.O.)
Where should I go? To Osaka
or Namba now? But I'm in
the Wakayama area. Let me
go to Wakayamashi and check
it out.
INT. WAKAYAMASHI STATION - DAY
Peter walks around.
PETER (V.O.)
Here doesn't seem to be
the right railway station to
take the "Cat Train".
He surfs the web using his smart phone.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd)
I see. I should go to the
Wakayama Station. The
two stations are kilometers
apart.
INT, WAKAYAMA STATION - DAY
Holding a one-day pass, Peter goes to platform No.9, where the Cat Train (or Tama Densha) is waiting.
PETER (V..O.)
At last! But I recall Ni Tama,
the cat station master at the
Kishi Station should be off-
duty today.
INT. KISHI STATION - DAY
Cat-like shape. Having bought some Tama stationary at its souvenior shop, Peter orders a Tama French toast set at its Cafe. Seeing TOURISTS posing in front of a bookshelf-like installation, Peter checks it out.
PETER (V.O.)
Oh! It's Ni Tama, the cat
station master. Skipping
a day off for me?
As Peter takes photos of the cat station master, Ni Tama looks back at Peter dismissively.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I know what you say: "What
a fuss!" But you don't know
you're succeeding the role-
play of a success story of
character merchandizing!
INT. FIRST CABIN, NISHIUMEDA - DAY
Elegant and modern ambience. After breakfast, Peter engages a robot carrying a kid.
PETER (V.O.)
The robot is a few years
old now. Carrying a kid
makes it less cool!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
After checking out, Where
should I go? I don't need
to eat or buy anything.
EXT. ROAD, FUKUSHIMA - NAMBA - DAY
Wearing a cap, Peter strolls. He stops watching roadside sculptures. One small two-piece bronze sculpture gets Peter's attention.
PETER (V.O.)
Oh, it's by Henry Moore
in 1979. What did I do in
1979? I first got married...
Peter is in deep thoughts.
INT. KANSAI AIRPORT - DAY
Boarding pass in hand, Peter checks a directional sign post.
PETER (V.O.)
In Kansai area, I'd try
okonomiyaki, it's a kind
of geographic indication
from the IP perspective.
INT. OKONOMIYAKI RESTAURANT - DAY
Hand on stomach, Peter pays at the cashier, as people queuing nearby look on.
PETER (V.O.)
When I was here, the queue
wasn't that long. Otherwise, I'd
have missed the opportunity
of trying the authentic dish
here. But my expectations
are too high for the Japanese
savory pancake.
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - NIGHT
Midnight. Peter sleeps. We see and hear his wife coming home.
PETER (V.O.)
It's already one o'clock in
the morning in Japan. I
don't want to get up...
Peter continues to sleep.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
PETER and his WIFE are inside their SMART car.
WIFE
When I came back from work
last night, you've already slept.
Peter nods.
PETER (V.O.)
Only senior citizens can afford
to have regular weekday
holidays!
FADE OUT. The End