B: Thank you, dear listeners for sending us your best wishes via e-cards and postcards. Here we have a lovely postcard from Gerry Neumann of England. Before the pandemic, Neumann visited Vietnam many times to teach charity summer classes in Hue city. We really hope to see him again soon.
A: Amir Jameel and members of the VOV Online Visitors Club of Bangladesh sent us their heartiest greetings for the New Year 2022. “A new year brings peace, harmony, and happiness in the world. I hope that you will have many blessings in the New Year 2022 – great health, happiness, and success in the New Year and always. We pray for a year without virus and that the world will continue to flow as before.”
B: Thank you, Amir Jameel, for your beautiful wishes, and we feel the same. We all hope that scientists will find more effective medicines and methods to protect people from the coronavirus.
A: We especially thank you for your wishes for VOV: “VOV English Service will more progress and present more informative, interesting and educational programs and will maintain its popularity in New Year 2022.”
 Tay Tuu flower village prepares for the lunar New Year 2022. (photo: VOV) |
B: Shivendu Paul of India sent his greetings to all staff and listeners of Voice of Vietnam. He told us: “Last year I sent 43 emails to the English Section and overall 357 emails to Voice of Vietnam in 13 languages. I am very happy that you reply to almost every email. Also I reply to most of the mail which is not included in these numbers.”
A: You are an amazing radio enthusiast. Please accept our thanks and appreciation. We hope for your continued support and feedback and from other Indian DX’ers in the New Year.
B: Shivendu Paul told us that after a few months, the number of COVID-19 patients is now increasing in India and the new variant Omicron is also reported in India. “What is the situation in Vietnam?” he asked.
A: The COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam has been basically brought under control since the fourth wave ravaged the country.According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the fourth wave with the rapid and strong transmission of the Delta variant developed in many localities. The number of new infections increased remarkably in a short period, far exceeding predictions.
B: With the great efforts, solidarity and determination of the entire nation, the pandemic has been gradually been brought under control, especially in hotspots such as Ho Chi Minh Cityand Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An southern provinces.
 Every flower villages are busy before Tet. (photo: VOV) |
A: In recent weeks, Vietnam has had about 16,000 COVID-19 cases a day. More than 20 imported Omicron cases have been detected in Vietnam to date. They were treated at separated hospitals upon arriving in Vietnam so they didn’t pose threat to the community. All of them have asymptomatic or mild symptoms.
A: In Vietnam people strictly follow pandemic prevention and control regulations, particularly wearing a mask and avoiding large gatherings.
 Kumquat tree is a symbol of prosperity for the new year. (photo: VOV) |
B: Tourism has gradually resumed in Vietnam. In the first few days of the New Year, many localities received their first international tourists after a long hiatus.
A: Sapa resort town in Lao Cai province welcomed about 20,000 visitors, including a group of tourists from Ukraine, on the first day of 2022.
B: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh opened for a group of Vietnamese and Australian tourists to visit last Sunday.
A: Da Lat City in Lam Dong province served more than 60,000 tourists on the first three days of 2022. Currently, motels and homestays for tourists have reached about 60% capacity; 2-star hotels and tourist villas are at 85-90% capacity; and hotels with 3 stars or more have reached more than 90% capacity.
B: The first international flight of 2022 from Tokyo, Japan landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi last Sunday with 143 Japanese passengers on board.
A: All localities in Vietnam have prepared conditions to welcome foreign tourists back under strict COVID-19 preventive measures. Vietnam’s tourism is scheduled to fully open in June.
 Peach blossom is a must-have flower for Tet. (photo: VOV) |
A: I’m reading a letter from Fumito Hokamura of Japan. We are very happy to receive his letter and to know that he is well. Hokamura told us that it’s now the peak season for Japanese narcissuses from December to February. They're one of Japan's most loved winter flowers, and part of the amaryllis family. They have straight stems with elegant, white, trumpet-shaped flowers. “When is the flower season in Hanoi?” asked Hokamura.
B: Hanoi has various varieties of flowers around the year. In late winter and early spring, charming narcissuses add more color to spring scenes and excite the Tet atmosphere, besides pink peach and yellow apricot flowers. The elegance, nobility and light fragrance of narcissus inspire a lot of flower connoisseurs.
A: In Vietnam, narcissusesare not massively grown in gardens and parks like in Japan because of the weather conditions. People who love narcissus have to carefully prepare the bulbs some weeks before Tet so the flowers will blossom right on the lunar New Year’s Eve.
B: Dry narcissus bulbs are soaked in water to freshen and then are cut by skillful hands. This is the most difficult step in shaping the narcissus tree because the slightest carelessness can ruin the bulb. After cutting, the narcissus bulb is dried with a soft brush so that its little buds and roots can grow. Once the buds appear, the narcissus bulb needs to be cut 3 or 4 times more to blossom. As the narcissus is flower that prefers cleanness, it’s placed in an airy spot and cleaned every day so that its roots will not be ruined.
A: Narcissus blossoms in the early of spring to usher in prosperity, wealth and longevity, so it’s important to help it blossom on New Year’s Eve with the hope that good luck will come in the New Year.
B: The soft, deep, unique fragrance of narcissus gives the spring a solemn atmosphere. Such a noble and elegant fragrance inspires many people when the New Year comes. A pot of narcissus is often placed on the altar to worship the ancestors on New Year’s Eve. Then on the first day of the New Year, it’s placed in the living room with the hope of good luck.
A: This week we acknowledge a reception report from Anders Ernest of Australia. He informed us that he could not receive signal on 12020 kHz on January 2 from 10h-10h30 UTC. The 9840 kHz signal is coming through quite clear, SINPO 35543. His location is about 80 kilometres West of Sydney.
B: Thank you very much for your report which is very useful for our technicians. Wishing you all the best for in the new year!
A: Many thanks to other listeners for your New Year’s greetings and reception reports: Ratun Kumar Paul, S B Sharma – President of the SBS WORLD LISTENER'S CLUB, Sreenivasa Raju, and Mrityunjoy Bera of India, Akiyoshi Teraoka of Japan, Danilo Nonato of Brazil, and Johnny Antonio Ramirez Lopez of Peru.
B: Time is running out on VOV. We thank you for your company, andwelcome your comments at English Service, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam.
A: Our email address is: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online and leave your comments at vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye.