SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1992
5
POSTMAN MAKES HIS MARK ON CHINA MAIL,
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HARMONIOUS INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS HAS ALWAYS HELD CENTRE STAGE IN THE CAREER OF LEUNG YUN-KAN THE POSTMAN WHO SETS A RECORD FOR MARING DIRECT CONTACT WITH HIS CHINESE COUNTERPARTS FOR MORE THAN QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
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EVERY DAY AT 2 PM. MR LEUNG GETS READY AT THE INTERNATIONAL MAIL CENTRE IN HUNG HOM TO GREET A THROUGH TRAIN FROM GUANGZHOU.
ON BOARD THE TRAIN ARE TWO CHINESE MAIL ESCORTS AND LOADS OF LETTERS. PRINTED PAPERS AND PARCELS SENT FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF MAINLAND CHINA.
MR LEUNG,
THEN
BETTER KNOWN AS UNCLE KAN AMONG HIS COLLEAGUES, WASTE NO TIME TO LEAD SIX OTHER POSTMEN TO UNLOAD THE GOODS, IN AVERAGE ABOUT 350 BAGS, FROM THE TRAIN.
THE MAIL IS SORTED AND DELIVERED TO THE RESPECTIVE DESTINATIONS IN THE TERRITORY. A SMALL PORTION IS FOR TRANSIT TO OVERSEAS PLACES SUCH AS SOME DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN AFRICA WHICH DO NOT HAVE DIRECT SEA LINKS WITH CHINA.
ALMOST 28 YEARS IN THE SAME JOB, UNCLE KAN HAS DEVELOPED RAPPORT WITH THE FOUR CHINESE MAIL ESCORTS ASSIGNED FOR THE MAIL CONVEYANCE JOB IN ROTATION.
HE SAID: "THEY ARE NICE GUYS AND WE SPEAK THE SAME DIALECT.
"I TREAT THEM AS MY CLOSE FRIENDS.
CANDID DISCUSSION HAS BEEN THE WAY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT ARISE FROM TIME TO TIME, HE DECLARED.
THERE WERE MANY INSTANCES WHEN UNEXPECTEDLY HUGE PILES OF MAIL HAD TO BE LOADED INTO THE TRAIN ON ITS RETURN TRIP TO CHINA THE NEXT MORNING, HE SAID.
"I TALKED FRANKLY TO THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND SINCERELY SOUGHT THEIR HELP. THEY WERE WILLING TO BEND THE RULES, HELPING US SQUEEZE IN THE BAGS TILL THE TRAIN WAS BRIMFUL. HE SAID.
A TOTAL OF 12.7 MILLION MAIL ITEMS WERE RECEIVED WHILE 20.5 MILLION WERE DISPATCHED TO CHINA IN 1991/92.
FROM CHINA
THE SENIOR POSTMAN ALSO ENJOYS CORDIAL WORKING RELATIONS WITH HIS COLLEAGUES.
THE KEY IS: ESPRIT DE CORPS.
NOW,
AFTER ALMOST FOUR DECADES OF SERVICE IN THE POST OFFICE, 60-YEAR-OLD UNCLE KAN IS BEGINNING HIS PRE-RETIREMENT LEAVE.
HIS DEDICATION TO THE JOB HAS NOT ONLY WON HIMSELF MANY FRIENDS. BUT ALSO A SPECIAL GIFT FROM THE QUEEN.
/EARLIER THIS