A: Thanks for your interest in our story “Schubert in a Mug”,which was first broadcast on our Sunday Show, and is now available on our website vovworld.vn. We visited the “Schubert in a Mug” Facebook fan page and learned that there are concerts scheduled for June, but not for July. Before your trip to Hanoi, Nushida, please check out their fan page to see if the schedule has been updated.

B: On June 7 and 8, they will perform a concert called "Above the Sea Fog", which they call “an invitation to the realm of German Romance”. Leaving behind the ideals of rationalism, the concerts delve into the nooks and crannies of the inner self, to places long hidden from the light.

A: They will play Schumann's Fairy Tale Pictures, Scharwenka's Trio for Violin, Viola, and Piano and Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, to name a few.

The performance space of “Schubert in a Mug” project (photo: “Schubert in a Mug” Facebook Fan Page)

A: Over the past week, many of our listeners have asked about what Vietnamese children do during their summer holiday.

B: Shivendu Paul of West Bengal, India, asked: “When do schools in Vietnam have a summer holiday? What activities do schools organize for the children during the holiday?”

A: According to a decision by the Ministry of Education and Training, the second semester of the 2023-2024 academic year must end on or before May 31, 2024. During the final days of the academic year, schools often organize cultural and sports competitions for the students. After a 3-month summer holiday, schools will begin a new academic year on September 5.  

Children play football at the Hanoi-Phu Dong Football Center. (photo: hanoi.qdnd.vn)

B: During the summer holidays, schools, social organizations, and children’s clubs organize a variety of activities for children. The busiest month is June, since June 1 is observed as International Children’s Day and June has been designated the Month of Action for Children in Vietnam.

A: Parents often sign children up for classes – dancing, singing, arts, chess, sports, or martial arts.

B: In recent years, there has been a lot of attention on teaching children to swim. The Children's Department of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs says there are 2,000 child deaths from drowning every year, making drowning one of the top 10 causes of death for children under 16 years old. The Children’s Swimming Club at the Gia Lai provincial Youth Center, for example, is one of many places that offer free swimming classes for children. Let’s see what they are doing.

Children’s Swimming Club at the Gia Lai provincial Youth Center (Photo: VOV)

The classes help children stay fit and teaches them swimming skills to prevent drowning accidents. Vo Manh Cuong, a primary school pupil, said he is learning how to swim, how to rescue drowning people, and first aid skills. 

“My family can’t afford to pay for swimming lessons. When the provincial Youth Center opened a free swimming class, I signed up immediately. The teacher is teaching me breaststroke and freestyle swimming,” Cuong said.

Nguyen Tien Thinh, Cuong’s swimming teacher, said: “I teach them how to swim and how to prevent drowning. They learn to be prepared when travelling on the water. The children can handle themselves and help others.”

200 children have attended the swimming class since last September, said Tran Van Trong, head of the Swimming Club. "The free swimming club welcomes children from poor families. We encourage schools in Pleiku province to enroll their children in our club,” Trong said.

Tra Van Thanh, whose son is learning to swim here, said: “Many children played in the river or the pond and drowned, so I’ve been taking my son to the swimming class every Sunday. He’ll become more confident and will be able to help himself in a dangerous situation.”

The children learn to prevent injuries, drowning, and water safety skills.

A: That’s a short story about a free swimming club for children during summertime and the accompanying song is called “Children today, the world tomorrow”. You’re listening to the “Letter Box” on VOV, we where acknowledge listeners’ feedback that we received during the past week.  

B: Najimuddin, a member of the International DX Radio Listeners Club, told us that he tuned in to VOV’s English program on the frequency of 7220 kHz at 16 UTC daily and the SINPO rating was 44343.

A: Tanjim Tatini of Bangladesh listened to a program on May 25 on 7220 kHz. He rated SINPO all 4s. Mr. Tatini said he has been listening to VOV for 10 years.

B: Myadel Alexander of Belarus reported listening to VOV on May 18 on 9730 kHz. He rated SINPO all 4s with a good signal and enjoyable listening conditions.

A: Sahadot Hossain of Bangladesh and ISN Murthy of India asked VOV to send them a program guide.

B: Thank you all for listening to VOV and sending us your feedback. We’ll send QSL cards to verify your reports and some souvenirs as a token of thanks. We 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 also invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.

B: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform, to hear our broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye!