A: Drescher asked us what makes Vietnamese food special? I think it’s all about balancing ingredients to create a taste of saltiness, sourness and sweetness in a single dish. For example, fresh, cool vegetables, bitter green bananas, and sour star-fruits can reduce the strong flavour of fish or shrimp sauce and make greasy meats less cloying.

B: We’d like to quote from some comments by blogger Erin Zimmer on Vietnamese food after an eating tour with Intrepid Travel. I think his impression represents many foreigners who have tasted Vietnamese food. “It's the fresh herbs and stinky fish sauce that I cannot un-smell. These fragrant elements play an important role in just about every dish in the Vietnamese cuisine canon. Some would call Vietnamese food simple, and it typically is, but never boring.”

A: He traveled up and down Vietnam - spending time in Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon, and the Mekong Delta—sniffing his way through markets, family kitchens, coffeehouses, restaurants, and busy blocks filled with sidewalk vendors. “Despite the varied landscape of Vietnam, all of the food came back to that balance of herbs, heat, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and the all-powerful fish sauce. As with other southeast Asian cuisines, it's all about yin and yang; sweet and salty, cooling and heating, fresh and fermented.”

A: Vietnamese food varies by region. The north, the central highlands and coast, and the south differ distinctly. It would take hours to do justice to Vietnamese food and its uniqueness, so we’ll pause our discussion here. We’ll have more detailed stories about Vietnamese food in future’s shows.

A: East Sea tensions, which have been growing since China illegally placed an oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in May, continue to invite comments from our listeners. Satoshi Nishioto of Japan wrote to us after listening to VOV’s broadcasts in Japanese and English: “Territorial disputes with China have been reported in the news every day in both Vietnamese and Japanese media. For Japan, the issue is of considerable importance. We can not forgive China’s arbitrary conduct.”

B: Fumito Hokamura of Japan also showed an interest in Vietnam’s sea and islands. He wrote: I support Vietnam in the East Sea issue and I want to hear news about Vietnam defending its sea and islands.”

A: Thank you very much for sharing your views on the issue. We’ll regularly report on developments in the East Sea and hope more foreigners will begin to see the intention behind China’s placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s sea, which is to claim sovereignty over other countries’ marine territory.

Chinese vessel directly hit the right side of a Vietnamese ship

B: I’m reading an email from John Whitbread of Ottawa, Canada. He listened to us on July 4^th on a portable Tecsun P600 on 12005 khz. John commented that the broadcast was clear and easy to understand. He was particularly interested in VOV’s views on North Korea’s missile tests, the Chinese Premier’s visit to the Republic of Korea, and our commentary on amendments to Japan’s Constitution.

A: Here’s an email from Debakamal Hazarika of India who listened to our English program on July 5 on 9550 khz. He was especially interested in the Weekend music show featuring songs from the album Piano by singer, actress Mai Hoa.  

B: Another Indian listener, Pradip Chandra Kundu, wrote to us on July 3 that he would like to know about the Vietnamese government’s support for children of school age up to 14 years old. Pradip is a government school teacher and he wants to know about the education system in Vietnam.

A: Vietnam’s schools are divided into 3 levels. Children normally begin primary education at the age of six. Education at this level lasts for 5 years and is universal and compulsory for all children. The next levels are lower secondary education for 4 years and upper secondary education for 3 years. After 12 years of basic education, students take exams to qualify for higher education at a college, university, or vocational training center. Currently, only primary schools are subsidized by the government, up to 50% of the total tuition.

Primary school students wear uniform and red scarf, a symbol of the Young Pioneers

B: According to UNICEF, Viet Nam has made significant progress in achieving universal primary education for children 6 to 12 years old. In 2009, enrollment in primary school was 97 per cent and 88 per cent of children who enter primary school complete five years of primary education. Of these, over 90 per cent continue on to lower secondary education, with no significant differences between regions or between urban and rural areas. Viet Nam has gender parity in education. Roughly half of the students are female in both primary and secondary schools.

A: In Vietnam’s latest education reform strategy, teacher training is a high priority for improving the quality of education at all levels. Other priorities are producing appealing, age-appropriate learning materials and building school facilities that promote not just academic achievement, but also physical, psychological, social, and emotional growth. 

B: We have shared some general information about Vietnam’s education system in answer to a question from Indian listener Pradip Chandra Kundu. We welcome your questions about Vietnam and feedback on our program, please send them to: 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.