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The old lamplighter passes the torch
By Yan Wen and Pan Zheng |
March 28, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR 25 years, lamp watcher Xu Dexin has been making the nighttime rounds of Gaosan Residential Area to make sure every one of the 97 street lamps lights up.
Today, Xu is 86 years old and it takes him an hour to make the weekly rounds that once took him half an hour. His family is worried about his health.
The old lamplighter is passing the torch to a stronger 60-year-old neighbor who promises to carry on the tradition of meticulous checking, reporting and ensuring the lights are on.
Xu used to work in a bicycle factory and retired around 25 years ago.
One evening he noticed that some street lamps in his residential area were not working, some broken, some burned out. Since it was late, Xu went back home, wrote an exact description of broken lamps and sent it to the residential management company the next morning. That night, the lamps were on again.
Since that day, Xu began his second career, reporting broken street lamps in Gaosan Residential Area of 110 buildings. He checked each week, made a detailed report to the management company and checked a couple of days later to see whether the lamps have been fixed.
But these days, Xu isn't as light on his feet and his family doesn't want him to walk around at night.
Neighbor Xu Baofeng, who is over 60 years old, was moved by his story and asked Xu to hand over his job to him. Xu Baofeng has drawn a detailed map of the area and its 97 lamps and schooled his apprentice for a week.
The torch is passed.
"I'll continue his work," promises Xu Baofeng, "and ensure that each and every lamp will light up on time."
Today, Xu is 86 years old and it takes him an hour to make the weekly rounds that once took him half an hour. His family is worried about his health.
The old lamplighter is passing the torch to a stronger 60-year-old neighbor who promises to carry on the tradition of meticulous checking, reporting and ensuring the lights are on.
Xu used to work in a bicycle factory and retired around 25 years ago.
One evening he noticed that some street lamps in his residential area were not working, some broken, some burned out. Since it was late, Xu went back home, wrote an exact description of broken lamps and sent it to the residential management company the next morning. That night, the lamps were on again.
Since that day, Xu began his second career, reporting broken street lamps in Gaosan Residential Area of 110 buildings. He checked each week, made a detailed report to the management company and checked a couple of days later to see whether the lamps have been fixed.
But these days, Xu isn't as light on his feet and his family doesn't want him to walk around at night.
Neighbor Xu Baofeng, who is over 60 years old, was moved by his story and asked Xu to hand over his job to him. Xu Baofeng has drawn a detailed map of the area and its 97 lamps and schooled his apprentice for a week.
The torch is passed.
"I'll continue his work," promises Xu Baofeng, "and ensure that each and every lamp will light up on time."
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