B: I remember Berlin in autumn when I made a working trip there some years ago. The trees are colourful, the leaves rustle under your feet, and it gets dark earlier. Autumn can be very rainy, but it is the time when one still enjoys the last rays of sunshine. While it's tempting to lament the changing of the seasons, there is plenty to like about this beautifully melancholic time of year.
A: Yes, it’s similar to Hanoi. Sunlight becomes less oppressive, a cool wind begins to blow, and yellow leaves lie scattered on the street. Autumn in Hanoi is transient but an exceptionally beautiful time even the busiest people can appreciate. In this season, walking around Sword Lake is pleasant pleasant release from the stress of daily life. The scenery is really spectacular – luxuriant trees, the charming The Huc Bridge, and the ancient Turtle Tower. Despite the surrounding urban bustle, Sword Lake retains its ancient calm beauty.
 The Huc bridge in Sword Lake |
B: Another famous lake in Hanoi is West Lake. In autumn West Lake possesses a special charm. The best time to contemplate West Lake might be on an autumn morning when it’s deserted and quiet. You can take a leisure walk on the pedestrian road surrounding the lake, ride a bicycle along Thanh Nien street to Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda, or just sit silently on a rocky outcropping, look at the lake in the morning fog, and soak up the fresh atmosphere.
 Tran Quoc Pagoda in West Lake |
A: Let’s come back to the VOV studio, where we’re reading letters from listeners. Madhab Chandra Sagour of India tuned in to our channel on October 8th on 7220 Khz and rated SIO 444. The signal was strong and steady, he said.
B: It’s good to know that the signal on 7220 khz to India is stable and can be heard loud and clear. Another Indian listener Bhaikan Hazarika listened to our program on October 12th on 7280 khz. SINPO rating was 43343. Bhaikan said: “First of all I want to say thank you for your amazing fantastic program. I really appreciate your program. I listened to the “Weekend Music Session” today. You played some wonderful Vietnamese songs by husband and wife. The song '12 O'Clock' was really nice. I enjoyed it very much.”
 The road around West Lake |
A: Jayanta Chakrabarty of India told us: “I enjoy listening to VOV English programs broadcast both on shortwave radio and online streaming. Reception quality is good and programs are interesting, informative, and entertaining.”
B: Thank you all for tuning in to our programs and sending us your feedback. You’ll receive verification cards from VOV soon. Jayanta Chakrabarty asked us about Vietnam's oil industry. “Is Vietnam self-sufficient in the production of oil and gas? I have heard from VOV that there is an ongoing joint oil exploration project by Vietnam and India.”
A: Vietnam has between 3.3 and 4.4 billion tons of crude oil and gas reserves in its offshore, according to the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, PetroVietnam. PetroVietnam has built a comprehensive oil and gas industry from oil and gas exploration to production to processing to oil and gas services. The Group has 62 domestic petroleum contracts covering most of Vietnam’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. It also has oil and gas cooperation contracts with several foreign partners.
B: PetroVietnam currently operates 5 large gas pipeline systems, providing 9 to 11 billion cubic meters of gas annually, producing about 35% of Vietnam’s total electricity output, 70% of its fertilizer output, and 70-80% of the gas consumed by households throughout the country.
A: In the oil and gas processing sector, PetroVietnam currently operates key oil and gas projects like the Dung Quat oil refinery, Phu My and Ca Mau fertilizer plants, and Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Comple. The gasoline supplied to the market by the Dung Quat and Nghi Son refineries meets about 80-85% of Vietnam’s total gasoline demand. The Ca Mau and Phu My fertilizer plants, with a total capacity of about 1.6 million tons of fertilizer per year, meets about 70% of the country's fertilizer demand.
B: In 2011, India’s state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and PetroVietnam signed an agreement to jointly explore upstream and down-stream opportunities in India. At a meeting of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on the sidelines of the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bangkok last August, both sides expressed their eagerness to continue oil and gas development cooperation in Vietnamese waters.
A: I’m reading an email from Hm Tarek of Bangladesh, who tuned in to our channel on October 11th on 7220 khz. Tarek said: “The signal was strong. From the “Village Life” segment learned that Lanh Trang cooperative is changing the lives of the Sa Phin villagers.
B: Timm Breyel of Malaysia thanked us for sending him a beautiful QSL card of the "Terraced Fields of Sapa." He submitted another reception report for the program on October 13th on the shortwave frequency of 12020 kHz, under excellent conditions in Kuala Lumpur. SINPO was 54544 with excellent signal strength and clarity of audio despite slight fade and transmitter hum.”
A: Timm was interested in the "Sunday Show" which focused on ethnic Thais in Vietnam, particularly their skill as weavers. The men forage for bamboo to make furniture and weave rattan. The women harvest and weave fabric from silk worms and create brocade cloth which is coloured with natural dyes made from plants.”
B: Sultan Mahmud Sarker, President of Bangladesh’s Shetu Radio Fan Club, gave us this feedback: “I listened to the Letter Box show on September 2nd and 9th and learned about historic sites in Vietnam. I think Vietnam is a very colorful country. I was amazed by the pictures posted on your website. Ba Dinh square and President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Hanoi Opera House, the 200-year-old Hanoi Flag Tower, and a beach on Phu Quoc island were particularly nice pictures. There is no comparison to your program for getting to know Vietnam. I listen very carefully to each program.”
B: Mats Westin, a DXer in Sweden since 1970, emailed us to say that 3 years ago he built 3 “Flag” wire antennas, and could finally hear some transatlantic and Far East mediumwave stations. Last winter he listened to many, but the signals sometimes faded away before he got the ID!
A: Mats told us: “I’m glad so many Asian stations are still on medium wave. Many European stations have closed down, which is a bit sad but this means the Middle and Far East can be heard better. There are many stations battling on some frequencies, creating noise problems. But it’s a cool challenge and the joy when you dig out an ID far exceeds any computer game or the like!”
B: I’m sure many Dxers share your joy. Mats went on to say: “I have a fond memory of receiving a verification from the Voice of Vietnam in the late 70’s or early 80’s. Sadly, it seems my collection of about 30-40 verifications from the period 1977-1982 have been lost somewhere. In those days, I used to enjoy listening to VOV a little now and then and shortwave reception of VOV was mostly very good.”
A: Mats said “I sometimes listen to Web radio and I recently checked out your website, whose content and layout seems nice. But as an old DXer, the biggest thrill lies in hunting an AM signal and managing to obtain the best possible readability over noise and interference! I love my old analogue radio sets and big tube radios, but the enclosed recording was done on my very first SDR (Software Defined Radio). It has easy recording and surprisingly good audio! You had a very clear audio quality, by the way.”
B: Thank you very much, Mats for sharing your DXing hobby with us and for tuning in to VOV. We’ll send our frequency list and English program schedule. We hope to receive more feedback from you one day.
A: Thank you all for tuning in to VOV’s English program and sending us your feedback. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm your reports. We welcome your letters at English Service, VOVWorld, Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Our email address is englishsection@vov.org.vn. Thank you for listening to VOV on shortwave and following us online. Goodbye until next time.