B: Thank you very much, Abdelilah, for your love for Vietnam. I hope your dream will come true soon and we invite you to visit our office in Hanoi when you can. Our regular listener Jayanta Chakrabarty of India sent us feedback on a “Saturday report” which he enjoyed listening to on August 1. “Edyta Roszko's love story with the friendly country of Vietnam, especially with Ly Son Island, was quite moving.  It's a fascinating account that sums up the beauty of Vietnam and the warm-heartedness and amicable nature of its people.  The story of this Polish researcher also tells about the love and affection that ordinary people of Vietnam have for foreigners.”

A: Edyta came to study folk culture in Quang Ngai province in central Vietnam and fell in love with the picturesque Island of Ly Son. This small island of 10 sq km is rich in relics, well preserved by the local people. Edyta and her husband, a Dutch ethnology researcher, have been draw to Vietnam by the charms of Ly Son again and again. Chakrabarty comments: “Edyta’s informative feature speaks highly of the measures undertaken by the Vietnamese government for the welfare of ethnic minorities and the government’s efforts to preserve and nurture the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam.”

A corner of Ly Son island, Quang Ngai province

B: We’re very glad to receive your positive feedback on this story. Many foreigners have come to work in Vietnam and gotten attached to this land and its people. You can read on our website stories about Saadi Salama, the Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam, Nelson Rodriguez, First Cultural Secretary of the Venezuelan embassy in Hanoi, and a Japanese couple taking wedding photos at many sites in Vietnam. We’ll have more stories about expats in Vietnam covering their living conditions, work, entertainment, and hobbies.

A: Here I have a letter from the Lysandrou family who live in a very small town in a rural US farming area called Bloomington, Indiana. They are a family of 5 who love shortwave radio. Mr. Lysandrou wrote: “We listen to learn as much as possible about the world with a Kenwood TS-590 transceiver and a Gap titan DX 25-foot vertical antenna.”

B: On July 6, 2014, they tuned in to VOV’s program in Vietnamese on the frequency of 12005 khz. The signal came in clear and Mr. Lysandrou rated SINPO at 54455. He wrote: “It was very nice to hear the Vietnamese language as we never hear it spoken in the small town where we live. I will listen again to your broadcast as I have been doing for several years now.”

A: Mr. Lysandrou continues: “I say a listener to your broadcast and a fan, please do not cut your broadcast as other shortwave stations have been doing. We have heard that Radio Russia and Radio Australia have shut down and cut broadcasting. It’s so important that you continue to broadcast. We love to hear all the languages of the world on shortwave radio.”

B: It’s interesting to know that you and your family love listening to shortwave broadcast to hear different languages of the world. We’ll verify your reception report and send you the broadcast list of VOV’s English program. We’re looking forward to receiving your feedback on our program in the near future. We thank you for your lovely postcards of some scenic spots in Indiana. They gave us a glimpse into your part of the world.

Thien Phuoc, a a small and authentic place for Vietnamese food in Tokyo (photo: yokosukafoodcorner)

A: Every week we receive a letter from Fumito Hokamura of Japan, who tells us about many things, from his health and his hobbies to the weather in Japan, interesting news on the local media, and his comments on VOV’s stories. Fumito says he likes Vietnamese food, especially fish dishes. There is no Vietnamese restaurant in his town of Fukuoka, but a local food shop sells some Vietnamese food items.

B: I think you can find Vietnamese tuna, tra fish, and shrimp in many Japanese supermarkets. Vietnam is the biggest shrimp exporter to Japan, with a 24% market share. Vietnam also ships a considerable quantity of fresh vegetables and fruits to areas affected by the radiation leaking from nuclear reactors damaged by Japan’s 2011 tsunami.   

Nha Viet Nam restaurant in Tokyo, Japan

A: I have looked on TripAdvisor, an internet travel website, and found some Vietnamese restaurants in Fukuoka. I hope you will have a chance to to check out how their food is. Here’s a letter from another Japanese listener, Satoshi Nishioto of Fuchu city. He listened to our program on 9730 khz on July 30. Satoshi says he listens to VOV’s Japanese broadcast every day. One day he went to our website and found the Letter Box segment of the English section quite interesting. Now he listens to both the Japanese and English programs.

B: You’re welcome to be a Dx’er of our English program. We’ve checked your reception report and will send you a QSL card soon. Next is an email from Miss Karobi Hazarika of India who listens to our program almost every day. She’s especially interested in Vietnamese music. She said she enjoyed some wonderful songs by young singer and song writer Vu Cat Tuong, including 'Ray of rain' in our last Weekend Music segment. Before ending today’s Letter Box, let’s relax with a pop song….

A: That’s it for today’s Letter Box program on VOV. We’ll verify your reception reports and we hope you receive our QSL cards soon. We welcome your letters 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.