A listener of the English Service has won the second prize. Congratulations to Rabi Sankar Bosu of India! 

And the third prize winner is C.R. Nurdin of Indonesia, a listener of our Indonesian Service.

These first 3 winners will be invited to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time when travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been removed.

Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh, a listener of the English Service has won one of the consolation prizes.

We’ll also present 3 prizes for the most impressive stories or impressive slogans about Vietnam’s success in the COVID-19 fight. 

Winners of consolation prizes, perspective prizes, and prizes for COVID-19 stories will receive certificates and souvenirs.

We don’t have enough airtime to announce all the names right now, but we’ll post them on our website at vovworld.vn.   

Congratulations to all the winners! For other contestants we wish you good luck next time.

A: I’m reading a letter from Mikio Kohara, a 70-year-old Japanese man. He listened to VOV’s program on September 4, 2020, on 9840 kHz and rated SINPO all 4s.

B: Mikio said it has been over a year since he listened to a VOV program. He enjoyed listening to the latest news in Vietnam, including the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

A: He told us that the number of people infected with coronavirus in Japan is decreasing. The death toll is low perhaps because the virus has mutated, and some people do not have symtoms. But they still avoid crowded places, Mikio said.

B: Masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling through the air when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. 

A: Mikio told us he thinks many Vietnamese products are coming to Japan.

“The other day I found a sturdy, easy-to-use chair at a furniture store and bought it because it was cheap. I thought it was ‘Made in China’, but when I checked it was ‘Made in Vietnam’. I found the product more than adequate.”

Vietnamese fresh lychees sell in Japan.

B: It’s interesting to hear that Vietnamese products are becoming familiar to Japanese customers. Vietnam exports to Japan electronic equipment, machines, plastics, apparel, footwear, wood, wood products, sea-food, and more.

A: Vietnamese customers are also familiar with Japanese products. AEON Vietnam has opened 5 shopping centers and is eyeing 25 more across Vietnam. Its strategy in Vietnam is to build centres in suburban districts rather than downtown locations, cater to local tastes, and mix local goods with imported products.

B: AEON also exports Vietnamese goods to stores it operates in other countries. Last year, AEON’s export of Vietnamese products totaled 380 million USD, almost double since 2016. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, AEON is on track to increase that number to 500 million USD this year and to 1 billion USD in the next 5 years.

A: In July, AEON sent its first shipment of lychees from Vietnam to its distribution system in Japan, making it the first retailer to sell fresh Vietnamese lychees in Japan.

B: I’m reading listeners’ comments on our website vovworld. Jorel Smullen said he and his dad had a discussion about the custom of chewing betel leaves and areca nuts. He thought it was just an addictive substance for people with an addictive personality. A VOV story about the Vietnamese betel chewing custom taught him there’s much more to it.

Betel leaves and area nuts are arranged in the shape of a phoenix wing.

A: Many Asian countries share the custom of chewing betel. In Vietnam, the custom dates back to the reign of the Hung Kings 4,000 years ago. The custom symbolizes love, brotherhood, family, and happiness.

B: Betel and areca appear in Vietnamese folklore, folk tales, folk songs, and folk festivals, and are still a part of some people’s daily life. They are used as offerings in worship rituals, engagements, weddings, funerals, and burials.

A: Jorel said he appreciated the story’s audio because he has Stargardt’s disease, which causes progressive blindness and is sometimes very painful. He is looking forward to learning more about Vietnamese customs.

B: Thank you very much, Jorel, for tuning in to VOV. We wish you well and all best of luck.

Billionaire Bill Gates is invited a piece of betel leaf and areca nut during a visit to Vietnam.

A: Ariel Osvaldo Torres, a 52-year old Argentinean journalist, emailed us to say that he had the pleasure of listening to the Voice of Vietnam in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the frequency of 9840 kHz.

B: He wrote: “It has been a real satisfaction to me to hear your station here in my country, because Vietnam is very far from Argentina. This was the first time I’ve heard the Voice of Vietnam.”

A: We are glad to hear from you, Ariel. Since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, VOV has stopped sending QSL cards by mail. We confirm reception reports now with e-QSL cards.

B: Siddhartha Bhattacharjee, President of the Chaitak Listeners Club in India, asked us “what is the highest Civilian Award in Vietnam?”

A: I understand that India confers Civilian Awards on people with outstanding achievements in their field of work. These awards have been presented to recipients by the President of India on Republic Day since 1954.

B: Vietnam also has awards to honor citizens’ contributions to the community. Vietnam’s awards and decorations are specified by the Vietnamese National Assembly through the Law on Emulation and Commendation, which aims to encourage people to perform their work with patriotism, dynamism, and creativity, in order to promote the goals of “prosperous people, a strong country, and an equitable, democratic, and civilized society. Commendations include State honorable Titles, Orders, and Medals.

A: State Honorable Titles, Orders, Medals are awarded, sometimes, posthumously, to individuals and groups that have made exceptional contributions to national construction and defense. Recipients can be officials, doctors, artists, soldiers, policemen, businesspeople, or ordinary citizens.

B: One honorable title is Vietnamese Heroic Mother, granted to mothers who have made great sacrifices for the cause of national liberation, national construction and defense, or the performance of international obligations.

A: The title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces honors individuals who have performed exceptionally in combat, military service, national security, or social order and safety, and are loyal to the nation and possess revolutionary virtues and qualities.

B: Other titles and orders are Hero of Labor, Gold Star Order, Ho Chi Minh Order, Independence Order, and Labor Order.

A: Thank you all for your feedback and reception reports. From now on we’ll only be sending e-cards to verify reception reports. It’s a pity, but listeners will still be receiving little gifts as tokens of appreciation from VOV.

B: We always welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform, to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening.

Goodbye until next time!