A: Hanoi is moving from spring into summer. A few days ago the daytime temperature rose to 37DC. An overnight shower cooled things off a bit and we are now enjoying a pleasant 25DC. This weather is forecast to continue until the end of the week.
B: Meanwhile Vietnam’s Central Highlands are in a severe drought. For months the region has been falling short of the water it needs for household consumption and farm production even though the dry season is not yet at its peak. An official from the Department of Hydro-meteorological Forecasting for the Central Highlands said a prolonged drought is affecting the region’s several important crops including coffee. He said the rainy season began at the beginning of last April, earlier than usual, and ended in October. Hot weather since early this year has taken a toll on the region, causing lakes, rivers, and streams to dry up. The Weather Forecast Center predicts showers late this month or early next month.
People in Cu M'gar, Dak Lak pump water from dried-up river |
A: The local authorities and farmers have struggled to distribute scarce water resources to save coffee and rubber farms and rice fields. This week we continue to receive entries from around the world for our contest “What do you know about Vietnam?”. We’d like to express our sincere thanks for your enthusiastic response to our contest. S.B Sharma of India said he sent two hard copies of his entry – one directly to VOV’s head office in Hanoi and one to the Vietnamese embassy in Delhi. We received his entry by email last month, one of the earliest entries.
B: Thank you very much, Mr. Sharma. We’ll inform you as soon as we receive the hard copies. I’m reading a hand-written entry from British listener Grant Skinner. He wrote: “When I started to listen to VOV the news and reports were really neutral, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Now when I hear other radio stations and compare with your news and reports one thing is very clear that your news and reports no doubt are of great standard and reliable which keep me in closer touch with matters in various fields of life. The information and the knowledge you provide me are undoubtedly very unique and of high value which is hard to get from other sources.”
Drought in the Central Highlands affect coffee plantation |
A: Many thanks for your generous compliment, Mr. Skinner. We’ll maintain shortwave broadcasts as long as there are passionate DX’ers like you. As you said: “Please don’t believe all the hype that surrounds modern media like the internet as not everybody has access to the internet and not everybody wants to use that method. There is still an active shortwave audience. Make sure you tell your directors that there are still people like me listening to your broadcasts. As a keen shortwave radio listener I continue to listen to my radio everyday. Please don’t think I’m old fashion because I want to sit and relax and listen to VOV on my shortwave radio.”
B: This week VOV has broadcast a series of stories to mark the 40th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification. Our listeners have expressed their interest in the historical information and in changes that have occurred in Vietnam-US relations over the years.
A: Other sections of VOV’s world service have also received a significant number of entries from their listeners. From Spain Juan Diez Echevarria wrote: "Vietnam symbolizes optimism and hope in the world and represents the best values of mankind. Voice of Vietnam Radio has fulfilled its role by promoting the Vietnamese identity. The Vietnamese drove out their enemies to win peace and independence. In modern life, they show their creativity in all aspects. We highly appreciate the efforts of your radio. Despite the great geographical distance, you always stay in our heart.”
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Krong Nang river dries up
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B: Rudy Hartono, who lives in Kalimantan, Indonesia, said he has published the contest information in a local magazine to inspire other Dx’ers to enter VOV’s contest. Alexander Sokolovsky, a Russian listener, has informed his students and friends about the contest and its attractive prizes.
A: Thank you for your help in promoting our contest. Last week we broadcast the first reference article about UNESCO-recognized heritages in Vietnam. If you missed the broadcast, you can read the transcript on our website at www.vovworld.vn. We have more stories coming up that will give you hints about other contest questions.
B: In recent programs we have broadcast several stories to mark the 40th anniversary of Vietnam’s southern liberation and national reunification. We have received a lot of feedback on them from listeners. Ivan Lebedev, a historian, listened to a broadcast on April 19 and realized how much power the Vietnamese guerrillas brought to bear in campaigns against the US Infantry. He could feel the staunch character of male and female fighters carrying ammunition through the deep jungles and the underground tunnels of Cu Chi. That example of courage must be remembered by generations of Vietnamese people, Ivan said. He sent us a photo from his Vietnamese collection which featured the US 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam’s Mekong River delta in 1969.
A photo from Ivan Lebedev's Vienamese collection about the US 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam’s Mekong River delta in 1969. |
A: Thank you very much, Ivan, for sharing your knowledge of Vietnam. We hope to hear more interesting stories from you telling Vietnam’s history from the viewpoint of a foreign historian. S.B Sharma of India said VOV’s programs these days talk a lot about battles to liberate cities and provinces towards the complete liberation of Vietnam’s southern region and national reunification. Mr. Sharma sent his heartiest congratulations to Vietnam on this occasion.
B: Referring to a frequency change for European listeners to 9625 KHz at 17 UTC for the summer, Gerry Neumann told us the main reception has been SINPO 45444 on the south coast of England. On Wednesday, April 15th, the transmission began about 40 seconds late, so the opening announcements and program summary weren’t broadcast. In the Letter Box, a listener asked about documentary heritages recognized by UNESCO, and VOV gave an answer about the woodcarvings of Vinh Nghiem pagoda, some of which date from the 13th century.
A: Gerry said the Letterbox is one of the many features on VOV that he enjoys, and some of the questions asked by listeners are very interesting and informative. He told us that last year when he came to Vietnam he planned to visit Hanoi, but didn’t get there. However, he hopes to come to Hue for a few days in August, and will make an effort to call in at VOV’s office at 45 Ba Trieu in Hanoi.
B: We hope your Vietnam visit will go as scheduled and we’re eager to receive you at our office in August. Finally we acknowledge receptions from Taslim Uddin, a computer teacher in Bangladesh, who listens to our programs on both shortwave and the internet, Andrew Kuznetsov of Latvia, Ricky Hein of the US, and the Metali Listeners’ Club of Bangladesh. We welcome your feedback at: English section, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. Tune in to our English program on the Internet at vovworld.vn. Good bye. See you next time.