A: This unfortunate nature's fury caused flash floods and landslides, killing many people and causing severe damage to property.  My family members and I, who are regular listeners to VOV, join the Vietnamese people in praying for the departed souls. It was nice to hear that the government of Vietnam immediately began rescue operations and mobilized the army to restore normalcy in the affected areas. 

B: Thank you very much for sharing your sympathy for this tragedy. It’s heartbreaking to know that a torrential downpour killed 12 people and injured 11 others in Khanh Hoa province and that five people were still missing as of November 18. The number of houses destroyed or damaged is not yet known. The authorities and the Vietnam Red Cross Society have delivered emergency support to the victims.

A: Mikio Kohara, a 68-year-old Japanese listener, told us that this year was a year of many earthquakes and typhoons and much damage in Japan. The recovery work is still going on in Osaka, where he lives. He says it’s now autumn in Osaka. The morning and evening are now cold and autumn leaves are getting beautiful.”

B: We know that Japan is located in an area where several continental and oceanic plates meet. This is the cause of frequent earthquakes and the presence of many volcanoes and hot springs across Japan. If an earthquake occurs below or close to the ocean, it may trigger a tidal wave, known as a tsunami.

A: There was an earthquake on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido in September. The death toll from the magnitude 6.7 earthquake reached 40. Many people are still missing, and at least 640 people were injured. The quake was the latest in a string of natural disasters that have hit Japan recently, including deadly floods, typhoons, earthquakes, landslides, and heatwaves.

An earthquake in Dien Bien province caused landslide.

B: Every year Vietnam experiences scores of earthquakes under 6-magnitude, mostly in the northern mountains and the south central provinces. In July four earthquakes measuring 2.7 to 3.5 magnitude struck Bac Tra My and Nam Tra My district in Quang Nam province. No damage or casualties were reported. Local residents said they heard loud noises and felt the ground shake, but the tremors did not destroy any buildings in the area.

A: Two earthquakes were reported in Tam Ky city, Quang Nam province, ranging from 3.2 to 3.9 magnitude in June. The biggest quake in Quang Nam province in 2012 damaged more than 100 houses. Luckily no human casualties were reported.

B: A 4.3-magnitude earthquake hit Vietnam's Dien Bien province in September, the second recorded this year. The earthquake's centre was at a depth of 10km, with shocks lasting about four seconds. Local people said they clearly felt the tremors, but there was no damage to buildings.

A: From Germany, Robert Duebler sent us a letter containing reception reports for October 13 and October 21. He said: “It was not so easy these days to get hold of your signal. The weather was unstable these days. The changing of Central European Summer Time to Central European Time on October 28 has had a massive effect on the propagation conditions of medium and short waves. Now it gets darker sooner each afternoon which will cause different signal strength and signal quality than in the summer months.”

People visit Daisy farms to take photos.

B: Robert continued: “As I said before, it’s not a simple catch but I experienced that it takes a bit of an effort to pick up the signal. The heard programs were interesting. In the German media, you hear almost nothing about Vietnam, except when there has been a heavy storm or flooding. Normally Vietnam is almost non-existent for German reports and journalism. On the whole, it’s good to know that the Voice of Vietnam in English does exist.

A: Vietnam is now among the 10 countries with the most immigrants living in Germany. Right now, the Vietnamese are the biggest East Asian community in Berlin and constitute 1.16% of the city’s population. The Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Germany says there are almost 100,000 Vietnamese living and working in Germany. Germany authorities say the Vietnamese community contributes significantly. Vietnamese students have achieved good academic results with a high percentage of students entering top schools and universities. 

Daisy season is in October and November.

B: Approximately 8,000 Vietnamese businesses are operating in Germany in trade, services, restaurants, hotels, tourism, insurance, and small import and export. 1,500 businesses are registered with Berlin’s Industry and Trade Office. It wasn’t until the 2010’s that Vietnamese restaurants began to pop up all over Berlin, but ever since thenmore and more keep opening. When I was in Germany, I found out that many people in Berlin love Vietnamese food.

A: If you want to explore Vietnamese life in Berlin, you should definitely visit the Dong Xuan Center. It is a fascinating experience. Buy some Asian herbs and vegetables and then enjoy an iced tea and a freshly prepared meal while you watch Vietnamese families do their shopping. We hope to receive more feedback from Robert Duebler and other listeners about the Vietnamese community in your locale.

B: Dennis Allen of Australia sent us a report on a program on 12020khz on October 9. He told us that the reception was spoiled by noise and fading which distorted the audio and made it difficult to hear. About the program content Dennis said: “In today’s difficult time, I am interested in Vietnam’s attitude toward the rest of the world. Your attempt to reconcile with other countries worldwide is very commendable. I also enjoyed the song just before the transmission ended.”

A: David Ansell of England reported listening to our program on October 31 on 9730khz. The signal was good with no interference and slight fading.  Eddy Prabowo of Indonesia logged in to our program on 7315 kHz on November 17. He rated SINPO 34333. He said in the first 5 minutes the audio was stronger and clearer, but after that the signal gradually decreased and the audio was noisier and wavier. Eddy sent us recordings of the program so we can check our broadcast quality.

B: Dilipkumar Sarkar, a doctor and radio listener in India, listened to our radio broadcast and sent us audio files of the program on 7220khz on November 20. Thank you all for your recordings, which help our technicians improve our overseas broadcasts.

A: Martin Steiner, who lives in Western Australia, said he enjoya listening to shortwave radio. He listens to VOV on 12020khz because he loves to hear what’s going on in Vietnam. Martin said: “I visited Vietnam a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I love the country and the friendly people.”

B: James Howlin of Japan reported that the signal on November 16 was good with SINPO at 55455. There was a clear signal with minor propagation fading. Abid Hussain Sajid  of Pakistan listened to VOV on November 17 on 7220khz. He rated SINPO at all 4s.

A: Thank you all for listening to VOV and sending us your reports. We will verify them soon. Please join us again next Wednesday for another edition of the Letter Box. Goodbye till then.