Hello and welcome to VOV’s Letter Box, our weekly feature dedicated to our listeners throughout the world. We are Pham Huan and Phuong Khanh
A: Christmas is coming in a week. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
B: Although Buddhism is the most popular religion in Vietnam, Christmas in Vietnam is a major event and Christmas Eve, which is regarded as more important than Christmas Day, is a grand party when the fun-loving and sociable Vietnamese, whether Christians or not, celebrate with gusto.
A: Decorations are put up in early December’s life-sized statues of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, the shepherds and animals at almost every major church like the Notre Dame Cathedral in in Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Joshep Cathedral in Hanoi. There are also twinkling lights on trees along the street and trimming the fronts of houses, turning some areas into Christmas wonderlands.
B: Shops have signs advertising Christmas sales and in Hanoi the seasonal cold is a wonderful excuse to get dressed up.
A: On Christmas Eve, Christians in Vietnam often attend a Midnight Mass as in the western world, and then return home to a spectacular Christmas dinner with chicken soup replacing the turkey and Christmas pudding.
A: The family gathers together, prays for blessings and gets into the Yuletide spirit of giving and sharing. In Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, people gather at the city center where the cathedral stands and cars are not allowed. Children in Vietnam are greatly excited because they too believe in Santa Clause. They put their shoes in front of their doors on Christmas Eve, hoping to have their shoes stuffed with goodies from Santa’s bulging sack on the morning of December 25th.
A: These days, the festive Christmas atmosphere is spreading to every corner of Vietnam, and Catholics and Protestants are organizing festivities in celebration of the holiday. The piercingly cold weather of the days preceding Christmas seems softened by the colorful lights and the warmth of mutual goodwill. Christmas is an opportunity for everybody to get together with their relatives.
B: Not just in Vietnam’s major cities, Christmas atmosphere can be found in other cities and provinces. In Kim Son district in the northern province of Ninh Binh, local Catholics and visitors are streaming into the well-known stone church of Phat Diem, which is brilliant with thousands of lights.
A: Before reading our listeners’ letters, let’s cheer up the mood with a Christmas song.
A: We’d like to thank Najimudin of India for sending us wishes for a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. He wrote: “I must say that you are doing such a nice job in keeping us all informed about the various events taking place in world through the radio & web pages. The fact is that whenever we need to know about VOV English and its various related things. VOV English has become the best choice and the nicest way to do so. But also I would like to say that your website is a very nice source of information, entertainment and knowledge.
Every year we organized a listener’s conference and DX exhibition in our club. This year we will organize another DX exhibition. Please help us sending some materials and with New Year calendars”.
B: Thank you very much for tuning in to our broadcast. We have sent New Year greetings and Vietnamese calendars to listeners throughout the world. We hope yours will reach you soon.
A: In an email to VOV this week, Richard Nowak of the US wrote: “I enjoyed tonight's show on 6175 kHz from 1:00 to 1:27 UTC listening with a Grundig Satellit 750 hooked up to an off center fed wire antenna with an overall length of 41 meters. The Vietnam news mentioned the Vietnam War Vets Association asking people to follow Ho Chi Minh's example, Vietnam exports to Canada, Vietnam-Australian programs and the increasing number of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam. World News mentioned the new Palestinian ministers, the Russians meeting with John Kerry and the Party Central Committee Meeting. An interview with a man who stepped on a mine was very interesting and a film about a single woman who wants to have a baby. Vietnam having 3,500 companies in agriculture was mentioned”.
A: Rating SINPO at 45444, Richard wrote: “I enjoyed tonight's show. The news provided great current information, and the song was nice. Thanks for the nice show and your support of shortwave”.
B; Avinash Cheekoth of the United Arab Emirates sent us wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. He wrote: “I am pleased to report the reception of English broadcasts of the Voice of Vietnam via shortwave on 14 December 2015 on the new frequency of the broadcast season. Overall, Fair to Good reception was noted on your broadcasts. It was good to hear about the potential drastic impact of climate change on the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam and the measures Vietnam is taking to reduce emissions through VOV’s current affairs program. Let’s hope that with the global efforts as part of the Climate change agreement, ecologically sensitive areas like the Mekong Delta will be saved for future generations”.
B: In an email to VOV this week, Rabi Sankar Bosu of West Bengal, India wrote: “I would like to inform you that my journey with VOV’s English Service started back in the year 1985. Nearly 30 years ago, on one midsummer evening of 1985 I happened to pick up the English broadcasts of VOV World, the face of Vietnam’s public broadcast abroad, broadcasting from Hanoi, capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. At the end of my secondary school final exams in 1985, I started listening to international broadcasting; day by day I came to VOV’s English Service and VOV World is still with me today. Every day VOV’s English Service comes to our part of the globe bringing the message of Vietnam on shortwave. And even though the frequency isn't great, I always find time to listen! The more I listen to your English broadcasts, the more I get fascinated with the history, culture, society, art, food, movies, the vastness, and diversities of Vietnam”.
A: Rabi Sankar Bosu continued “I am also happy to tell you that I have been an avid user of VOV World’s English service website; I always find time to visit your site! Your English website is making Vietnam dear and near to me. Listening to VOV on shortwave and also internet streaming has been one of the great pleasures of my life. I have shared my listening experiences with you through my reception reports and letters over the years with sincere devotion. With a long association with your radio station I have found that my "fountain of knowledge" with regards to the Vietnamese history and culture has been gradually gaining in depth”.
B: It’s great to hear such compliments for our program. Thank you very much. We hope to hear more from you”.
A: We’d like to thank Shanzad Shabbir of Pakistan for your lovely Christmas and New Year Greetings. We’d like to acknowledge letters and emails form Ratan Paul, SB Sharma, Karobi Hazarik, and Debaki Ranjan Biswas of India, Mubashir Hussain Asher of Pakistan, Rana Dewan Rafiqul of Bangladesh, Iyed Ben Brahim of Tunisia, Eric Higbie of the US, and Vladislav Levshainove of Russia. We have sent you QSL cards to confirm your reports and New Year Greetings from VOV.
B: We welcome your feedback 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.