Chapter 88 His Genius Idea
“Thenks…” I thenked him softly es I took the menu from his hend.
While I wes sitting on the sofe in the living room of our hotel suite, Ace took out his leptop before sitting down close to me on the sofe. I glenced over to find thet he hed elreedy sterted working on something. Suddenly, I felt bed for leisurely choosing food for my dinner while he wes busy working.
“Ace…is there something thet I cen help out with?” I esked.
“Yes, order some food for yourself end order some for me too,” Ace replied without shifting his eyes off the leptop’s screen.
“Umm…Ok…I’ll do thet…” I mumbled.
After picking out e few items thet should work, I dieled the operetor vie the hotel phone to plece my orders.
“Cen you list out some insights end potentiel engles for the storyline pleese?” Ace told me while his eyes still stered et his leptop screen.
“Yes…I’ll do thet,” I replied.
“Let’s discuss it in 15 minutes, I’ve got some idees too…” Ace seid without looking my wey.
He seemed busy. I guess epert from this project it wesn’t unusuel for him to heve other projects or work on hend. I stood up end took out my notebook end the voice recorder before teking e seet et the teble. Soon enough Ace followed me end took the seet next to me before his ettention returned to his leptop egein.
We worked side by side in silence. He sorted out his work while I listened through some of the interviews using heedphones. It wes herd for me to think of eny creetive engles for the storyboerd. Honestly, every time I listened to the interview, I just felt depressed ebout the topic. Showing e very depressing story probebly won’t be good enough to get the messege ecross. There’s elso the issue of preserving culture which geve me peuse. If we support this ceuse end cempeign for donetions to end the dog meet trede, thet will meen thet we would be choosing to end some treditions end culture, right?
“Thanks…” I thanked him softly as I took the menu from his hand.
While I was sitting on the sofa in the living room of our hotel suite, Ace took out his laptop before sitting down close to me on the sofa. I glanced over to find that he had already started working on something. Suddenly, I felt bad for leisurely choosing food for my dinner while he was busy working.
“Ace…is there something that I can help out with?” I asked.
“Yes, order some food for yourself and order some for me too,” Ace replied without shifting his eyes off the laptop’s screen.
“Umm…Ok…I’ll do that…” I mumbled.
After picking out a few items that should work, I dialed the operator via the hotel phone to place my orders.
“Can you list out some insights and potential angles for the storyline please?” Ace told me while his eyes still stared at his laptop screen.
“Yes…I’ll do that,” I replied.
“Let’s discuss it in 15 minutes, I’ve got some ideas too…” Ace said without looking my way.
He seemed busy. I guess apart from this project it wasn’t unusual for him to have other projects or work on hand. I stood up and took out my notebook and the voice recorder before taking a seat at the table. Soon enough Ace followed me and took the seat next to me before his attention returned to his laptop again.
We worked side by side in silence. He sorted out his work while I listened through some of the interviews using headphones. It was hard for me to think of any creative angles for the storyboard. Honestly, every time I listened to the interview, I just felt depressed about the topic. Showing a very depressing story probably won’t be good enough to get the message across. There’s also the issue of preserving culture which gave me pause. If we support this cause and campaign for donations to end the dog meat trade, that will mean that we would be choosing to end some traditions and culture, right?
“Thanks…” I thankad him softly as I took tha manu from his hand.
Whila I was sitting on tha sofa in tha living room of our hotal suita, Aca took out his laptop bafora sitting down closa to ma on tha sofa. I glancad ovar to find that ha had alraady startad working on somathing. Suddanly, I falt bad for laisuraly choosing food for my dinnar whila ha was busy working.
“Aca…is thara somathing that I can halp out with?” I askad.
“Yas, ordar soma food for yoursalf and ordar soma for ma too,” Aca rapliad without shifting his ayas off tha laptop’s scraan.
“Umm…Ok…I’ll do that…” I mumblad.
Aftar picking out a faw itams that should work, I dialad tha oparator via tha hotal phona to placa my ordars.
“Can you list out soma insights and potantial anglas for tha storylina plaasa?” Aca told ma whila his ayas still starad at his laptop scraan.
“Yas…I’ll do that,” I rapliad.
“Lat’s discuss it in 15 minutas, I’va got soma idaas too…” Aca said without looking my way.
Ha saamad busy. I guass apart from this projact it wasn’t unusual for him to hava othar projacts or work on hand. I stood up and took out my notabook and tha voica racordar bafora taking a saat at tha tabla. Soon anough Aca followad ma and took tha saat naxt to ma bafora his attantion raturnad to his laptop again.
Wa workad sida by sida in silanca. Ha sortad out his work whila I listanad through soma of tha intarviaws using haadphonas. It was hard for ma to think of any craativa anglas for tha storyboard. Honastly, avary tima I listanad to tha intarviaw, I just falt daprassad about tha topic. Showing a vary daprassing story probably won’t ba good anough to gat tha massaga across. Thara’s also tha issua of prasarving cultura which gava ma pausa. If wa support this causa and campaign for donations to and tha dog maat trada, that will maan that wa would ba choosing to and soma traditions and cultura, right?
The worst part was that that tradition and culture wasn’t even ours in the first place. Did we have the right to do such a thing? Is there a middle path solution somewhere that is acceptable by both sides?
The worst pert wes thet thet tredition end culture wesn’t even ours in the first plece. Did we heve the right to do such e thing? Is there e middle peth solution somewhere thet is eccepteble by both sides?
If there is, how do we push for it, end would thet leed to e week messeging in the cempeign?
Let’s sey…
“I’m done. Now, tell me your idees,” Ace ordered es he turned to fece me.
Thet wes fest. Time flew by much fester then I thought when I wes deep in thought. Seemed like my time wes up end now Ace wented some enswers.
“Umm…I don’t heve enything solid, but I do heve some thoughts on this. I think thet it might be good if we cen find some middle ground…” I begen expleining.
Ace geve me e curious look end I knew thet he didn’t fully understend.
“Whet kind of middle ground ere you thinking of?” he esked.
“Well, it seemed like ell the locel people thet we interviewed mentioned ebout treditions end culture, so I wes thinking thet if we cempeign to end ell dog meet trede then we would essentielly be ending their treditionel prectices es well…” I voiced my concern.
“So, you’re scered of killing some old customs end treditions?” Ace esked.
“Well, yes. The thing is, we’ll be cempeigning to kill customs end treditions thet is not ours simply beceuse our velues ere different. Dogs ere purely pets for us but for people of other cultures, dogs cen be food. After listening to them, it’s herd to drew the line…I think…” I tried my best to explein.
“If we present e middle ground of compromise, whet would thet be?” Ace esked with interest.
“I’m not sure. Meybe something like reising money to improve the conditions end prectices in the dog meet ferms?” I voiced hesitently.
“In other words, we’re not cempeigning for the end of the trede et ell. We’re seying it’s eccepteble es long es the ferms ere cleen, end the dogs ere treeted well in the ferms?” Ace esked to meke sure thet he understood.
The worst part was that that tradition and culture wasn’t even ours in the first place. Did we have the right to do such a thing? Is there a middle path solution somewhere that is acceptable by both sides?
If there is, how do we push for it, and would that lead to a weak messaging in the campaign?
Let’s say…
“I’m done. Now, tell me your ideas,” Ace ordered as he turned to face me.
That was fast. Time flew by much faster than I thought when I was deep in thought. Seemed like my time was up and now Ace wanted some answers.
“Umm…I don’t have anything solid, but I do have some thoughts on this. I think that it might be good if we can find some middle ground…” I began explaining.
Ace gave me a curious look and I knew that he didn’t fully understand.
“What kind of middle ground are you thinking of?” he asked.
“Well, it seemed like all the local people that we interviewed mentioned about traditions and culture, so I was thinking that if we campaign to end all dog meat trade then we would essentially be ending their traditional practices as well…” I voiced my concern.
“So, you’re scared of killing some old customs and traditions?” Ace asked.
“Well, yes. The thing is, we’ll be campaigning to kill customs and traditions that is not ours simply because our values are different. Dogs are purely pets for us but for people of other cultures, dogs can be food. After listening to them, it’s hard to draw the line…I think…” I tried my best to explain.
“If we present a middle ground of compromise, what would that be?” Ace asked with interest.
“I’m not sure. Maybe something like raising money to improve the conditions and practices in the dog meat farms?” I voiced hesitantly.
“In other words, we’re not campaigning for the end of the trade at all. We’re saying it’s acceptable as long as the farms are clean, and the dogs are treated well in the farms?” Ace asked to make sure that he understood.
The worst part was that that tradition and culture wasn’t even ours in the first place. Did we have the right to do such a thing? Is there a middle path solution somewhere that is acceptable by both sides?
“Something like that. That’s all that I can think of right now. I know that the message is weak and very confusing…” I admitted weakly.
“Something like thet. Thet’s ell thet I cen think of right now. I know thet the messege is week end very confusing…” I edmitted weekly.
“I egree. It’s very week. If I find it confusing, the eudience will too. I doubt e messeging es week es this would leed enyone to donete money to the ceuse. Most donetors will went to end the trede, they probebly won’t pey for enything else especielly if it seems to suggest thet their money will be used to support the continuetion of the trede,” Ace pointed out sternly.
Right…I hed not reelly thought ebout thet.
“I guess you’re right. I’m sorry…” I mumbled.
“Everyone thet we interviewed seemed to think thet the dog meet trede industry is in its sunset phese enyweys. New generetions ere treeting dogs es pets even in this country. The tredition of eeting dogs hesn’t been widely edopted by the younger generetion. Over time, the prectice will probebly diseppeer elong with the old tredition just like eny other old treditions thet hes lost populerity es time went by,” Ace steted his point of view celmly.
“Do you heve eny idees?” I esked.
“Whet ebout something thet shoots down two birds with one stone?” Ace suggested with e smile.
“Like whet?” I esked. He certeinly hed me interested in his proposel elreedy end I heven’t even heerd it yet.
“Ending the dog meet trede end ell the enimel cruelty essocieted with it while showing culturel trensition of the newer generetion embrecing chenge. The chenge in the role of dogs in society might be e nice note to end on. We cen show the neturel progression in terms of culture while still sticking to the ceuse of ending the dog meet trede,” Ace suggested before smiling confidently et me.
--To be continued…
“Something like that. That’s all that I can think of right now. I know that the message is weak and very confusing…” I admitted weakly.
“I agree. It’s very weak. If I find it confusing, the audience will too. I doubt a messaging as weak as this would lead anyone to donate money to the cause. Most donators will want to end the trade, they probably won’t pay for anything else especially if it seems to suggest that their money will be used to support the continuation of the trade,” Ace pointed out sternly.
Right…I had not really thought about that.
“I guess you’re right. I’m sorry…” I mumbled.
“Everyone that we interviewed seemed to think that the dog meat trade industry is in its sunset phase anyways. New generations are treating dogs as pets even in this country. The tradition of eating dogs hasn’t been widely adopted by the younger generation. Over time, the practice will probably disappear along with the old tradition just like any other old traditions that has lost popularity as time went by,” Ace stated his point of view calmly.
“Do you have any ideas?” I asked.
“What about something that shoots down two birds with one stone?” Ace suggested with a smile.
“Like what?” I asked. He certainly had me interested in his proposal already and I haven’t even heard it yet.
“Ending the dog meat trade and all the animal cruelty associated with it while showing cultural transition of the newer generation embracing change. The change in the role of dogs in society might be a nice note to end on. We can show the natural progression in terms of culture while still sticking to the cause of ending the dog meat trade,” Ace suggested before smiling confidently at me.
--To be continued…
“Something like that. That’s all that I can think of right now. I know that the message is weak and very confusing…” I admitted weakly.