A: It’s really cold today in Hanoi and I think this winter is the coldest and longest one I’ve experienced. Do you have any forecast for the next few days?

B: Yes, I was nearly frozen when I drove my motorbike this morning. This weather is forecast to last for a week or more with drizzle. It’s the visible result of climate change.

A: It’s bad because the rain will make it colder. Last year, Vietnam recorded many unusual and unprecedented weather phenomena including hailstones, ice and snow, and a record number of typhoons and tropical low pressure systems of stronger intensity.

Snow covers Sa Pa township on February 19, 2014

B: I remember that early this winter, last December, we experienced an unprecedented long cold spell during which the temperature in Hanoi centre fell to 6 or 7 DC. It caused snow and ice in the northern mountain provinces, where the temperature dropped below 0. Ho Chi Minh city, which has an average yearly temperature of 27, saw its coldest winter in a decade with temperatures down to 18 DC.  

A: Meteorologists predict that we’ll have record-breaking summer temperatures this year. They say drought and rainfall will also set new records.

B: Extreme weather conditions have also appeared in the countries of many of our listeners. Some listeners in Japan, the US, and Canada have told us that they are having longer winters, unusual rains, and very hot days in the winter.  

Terrace rice fields in Ha Giang is blanketed in snow

A: Now let’s change the subject. We’ll read listeners’ letters and reception reports we received during the week. Some listeners claimed they haven’t yet received the stuff we said we sent them on the previous edition of the Letter Box. Please, wait a few more days. Maybe the post is just late. We continue to receive replies from listeners saying they just got our New Year’s greeting cards and calendars. It took about 2 months for the posts to arrive in some places.

B: We’re glad to hear that transmission was good on the frequencies of 9550, 5955, 7280, and 12020 khz. Rana Dewan Rafiqul said the reception quality of VOV’s program on 9550 khz in Naogaon, Bangladesh, was very good. He rated SINPO at 54444.  He added: “I enjoy your programs because they are like a window on all that happens in your country. Your radio station is like a bridge connecting all corners of the world”.

B: Thank you, Mr. Rafiqul, for your sentiments and constructive comments on VOV. You’ll receive our QSL card to verify your reception report soon. From Genoa, Italy, Enzo Pistone said he listened to VOV’s program on February 2. The frequency was 5955 khz from VOV’s transmitter station in Moosbrunn, Austria. Enzo used a Realistic DX 392 with digital frequency display and rated SINPO at 55444. He enjoyed listening to the news and details about Vietnamese New Year: Spring festivals, the tree planting campaign at the beginning of the year, and many things relating to horses, because 2014 is the Year of Horse in the lunar calendar.

The opening of Yen Tu Spring Festival 2014

A: Allen Dean of England told us that he continues to hear VOV regularly these days at 18 UTC on 5955 khz. He noted that that frequency is clear of any interference at this time. He wrote: “Your programs continue to be of great interest with a good round-up of news and life in Vietnam. I also enjoy many of the songs that you play regularly. A good example of this was the song at the end of yesterday’s program sung by a young lady.”

B: Thank you Allen for your nice comment and useful technical notes. We’ll verify your reception report and sent a QSL card to you soon. From India, Sanjib Biswas, said the reception of VOV was as crystal clear in Kolkata as a local FM station. News, Current Affairs, Letter Box, and the Sunday Show are his favorite programs. He wants to know more about English-language newspapers in Vietnam.

A: There are a number of English-language newspapers and magazines in Vietnam. The Vietnam News Agency has a daily newspaper in English which covers news and columns on political, economic and socio-cultural affairs and major world events.

B: It’s the only daily newspaper in English in Vietnam, but there are magazines in English about business, investment, culture, and tourism. Many of our listeners congratulated VOV on World Radio Day recognized by UNESCO last week. They expressed their delight at this celebration of mass media capable of reaching a wide audience, including minority populations living in remote areas.

A: Last but not least in our show, we welcome new listeners Muhamad Zainal of Indonesia and Takacs Rudolf of Romania. Mr. Rudolf is a 71-year-old retired engineer. He wrote: “In my free time I like to listen to the radio. This has been my hobby since 1959. I have received QSL cards from many radio stations.”  

B: We’re glad to be in contact with Michael Cunningham of Australia again after years of interruption. We’re proud to maintain a relation with Mubashir Hussain Asher, President of the Pak Listeners Club in Pakistan. He has been a regular listener to VOV since he was a 16-year-old student. He is now 42.

A: We’ve checked a report by Vladislav Levshanov of New Zealand. We thank you for the audio file attachment which makes it easy for us to evaluate the transmission quality at your location.

B: Time’s up on VOV’s Letter Box. Once again, thank you for listening and writing to us. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm your reports soon. 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. You’re invited to visit us online at www.vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Good bye until next time.