SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1977
EACH HAS TO BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH AN INTERCHANGE OF SIGNALS. THE PORT COMMUNICATION CENTRE HAS TO BE NOTIFIED SO THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO SHIPS' LOCAL AGENTS TO HAVE A EERTHING PLACE READY FOR THEM AND TO NOTIFY THE PILOTS. STEVEDORES AND ALL OTHER PEOPLE EXPECTING THE SHIP TO BE PREPARED TO MEET IT.
THEY HAVE TO WORK OUTDOORS AS WELL. THE MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR OF THE LIGHTHOUSE COMPOUND AND THE BEACON VERY OFTEN MEANS HAVING TO BRAVE STORMS OR BAD WEATHER.
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS HAVE TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN SHIPPING MATTERS. THEY MUST BE ADEPT IN THE VARIOUS FORMS OF TELECOMMUNI- CATION AT SEA, AND ON TOP OF THAT THEY HAVE TO BE A GOOD ELECTRICIAN, MECHANIC, CARPENTER AND A NURSE AS WELL.
+NO ONE IS ABLE TO COME TO OUR AID IMMEDIATELY IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, UNLESS BY HELICOPTER, AND YET THE LIGHTHOUSE HAS TO RESPOND AT ALL TIMES TO THE STREAM OF PASSING SHIPS WHICH BRING IN ESSENTIAL RAW MATERIALS FOR OUR INDUSTRIES AND GOODS FOR OUR SHOPS AND TAKE OUT PRODUCTS OF OUR LABOUR TO MARKETS IN ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD, + MR. LI SAID.
LI
MR. L1 AND HIS COLLEAGUES THOUGH, HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF THEMSELVES AS BEING MAROONED ON WAGLAN.
+AFTER THESE TWENTY ODD YEARS I HAVE COME TO BE ATTACHED
TO THIS ISLAND AND HAVE COME TO THINK OF BELONGING TO IT.
+BESIDES, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DO HERE, WITH EACH OF US CARRYING OUT OUR OWN PART OF THE TASK LOOKING AFTER THE LIGHTHOUSE, AND OCCUPIED IN OUR SPARE TIME IN OUR OWN FAVOURITE PASTIME.
+ON BUSY DAYS, IT MAY HAPPEN THAT WE MAY NOT EVEN ONCE HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET TOGETHER DURING OUR WEEK-LONG TOUR OF DUTY DESPITE BEING SO CLOSE TOGETHER.
+BUT I WOULDN'T TRADE THIS FOR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD,+ SAID MR. LI. THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH HUMAN COMPANIONSHIP, BUT I KNOW THAT OUT THERE I HAVE MANY FRIENDS COMING FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD AND WHO DEPEND ON ME TO SEE THEM SAFELY THROUGH, AND THAT'S REWARD ENOUGH,+
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