(VOVWORLD) -Last week many of our listeners in India told us that they listened to VOV’s news report about the Yoga International Day celebration in Vietnam. Shivendu Paul, President of the Metali Listeners' Club said that on June 21st, schools in India observed Yoga International Day with discussions about yoga’s health benefits and mass yoga events.
B: From VOV, they learned that Vietnam also observed this day. Mr. Paul said his students want to know whether Vietnamese students practice or are interested in yoga.
A: In Vietnam yoga is more popular with older people. Young people are attracted to more dynamic and exciting dance exercise. Yoga is not included in the school curriculum as it is in India.
B: There is no reliable information on the number of yoga instructors and centers in Vietnam. But in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, for example, it’s easy to find yoga classes at fitness centers and offices. Why offices? Office workers don’t have time to go looking for a fitness or yoga center, so they practice yoga right in their office after work. It’s convenient and enhances office relationships.
A: Mindfulness in the workplace is something of a growing trend. The understanding that employees work optimally when best happy, physically relaxed, and mentally clear is a pretty strong motivator for employers to put a mindfulness class or two on the company schedule. A workplace yoga class is a relatively simple addition that need not involve great financial outlay.
B: Shivendu Paul sent us some photos of the Yoga Day celebration in India. Let visit VOV’s website at vovworld.vn to see the photos. I’m reading a report from Eddy Prabowo of Indonesia. It’s great to know that the signal on June 23 on the frequency of 7315 khz was good. His SINPO rating was 45444. He accessed our channel via webSDR of K2SDR in New Jersey, USA, and monitored in Jakarta, Indonesia, using a Lenovo E10-30 notebook. He remarked strong signal strength, stable audio quality, and only minor splatter noise.
A: From China John Rutledge emailed us to say that he hadn’t received our latest post mails. We’re very sorry. We checked with the local post office but could not trace the missing letters. John said: “I’m investigating the problem of missing mail over here. Your station’s letters are not the only ones that somehow cannot reach me. I’m now in the process of officially complaining to different Chinese post office authorities, and claiming the problem of missing mail is in Changchun and not with the senders.”
B: Please keep us informed. We might try resending your QSL cards to a different address. Peter Ng of Malaysia sent us a report on the program on May 26 on the frequency of 12020 khz. Peter used a portable Sony ICF SW11 to listen to our program and rated SIO 454.
A: Koichi Ikeda of Japan emailed us after listening to our program on June 18 on 7315 khz. He commented that the receiving conditions were excellent. He wrote “From the news, I learned that there are many festivals in Vietnam. Of course, we also have many festivals in Japan. Are many of your festivals traditional one? We should try to preserve these traditional festivals and pass them on to the next generation as our parents did.”
B: You’re totally right, Ikeda. Traditional festivals are a treasure that helps the next generation understand the nation’s history and culture. Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups who organize a total of 8,000 big and small festivals. We have a national program to protect traditional culture and festivals.
A: Festival are living museums in which the typical cultural values of a community or nation have been preserved for centuries. Generation after generation, the Vietnamese people uphold a tradition “to remember the source of the water we drink.” Festivals reflect this tradition and many honour revered figures considered “saints”.
B: Saints embody the noblest characteristics of mankind. They are national heroes who fought against foreign invaders, claimed new lands, or averted disasters, or were legendary characters who defined earthly life. Festivals are celebrations that honor the saints whose merit built the community and the nation. On these occasions, people return to their roots, which are sacred in their mind.
A: Festivals symbolize the strength of the community, its solidarity against difficulties, and its aspirations for a happy, prosperous life. You can learn about Vietnam’s festivals from the VOV features called Culture, Colorful Vietnam, Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups, Village Stories, and the Sunday Show.
B: Here’s an email from Eric Zhou of China who says he was happy to hear VOV’s shortwave broadcast in English via the WHRI transmitter on June 16 on 7315khz. The signal was very strong, Eric said. Despite some noise and slight fading, the broadcast was very clear.
A: Eric, you didn’t provide any details of our program. We hope next time you’ll send us a more specific report so we can verify it. Anyway, we’ll send you our latest program schedule and some station materials.
B: Paul Walker of the US often sends us emails, but today he sent us an envelope containing many postcards of Pennsylvania and some personal postcards. Paul wrote: “I just wanted to send you a note to let you know how much I appreciate your continued broadcast on shortwave. As a small thank you, I have enclosed several postcards. I hope the VOV English staff likes them and that some of my cards will find a place on your office walls.”
A: Before we hang them on the walls, we’ll post them with this edition of the Letter Box on our website at vovworld.vn. Paul continued: I enjoy your music, especially the old music. I always like the Letter Box. I enjoy your responses to listeners and the personal connection VOV has wit it’s listeners. It’s nice to hear during the Letter Box what others like about VOV and where they are and how well they receive your program.”
B: Thank you, Paul, for sharing with our other listeners. We’re happy we can connect Dx’ers worldwide to share their DX’ing experience. Please send your letters to English Section, Overseas Service, Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Our email address is englishsection@vov.org.vn. Thank you for listening. Please join us again next Wednesday for another Letter Box edition. Goodbye.