B: Gerry told us that he has continued to listen to VOV in English whenever possible, usually on the Internet, because shortwave reception in southern England on 7280 KHz and 9730 KHz is poor. On November 3rd, he listened to news of some Vietnamese among the 39 bodies found in a truck in the UK. Pakistani migrants were found in a truck in southern France. They were discovered during a routine check and handed over to Italian authorities.
A: Gerry said that, like many people around the world, he was saddened by the news of the deaths of the 39 migrants. He told us: “I like to listen not only to the news from VOV, as you usually mention items that we don’t hear in the UK from our national broadcasters, but also the many informative items about Vietnam. Long may you continue with the broadcasts!”
B: Thank you, Gerry. The Vietnamese government has collaborated with the UK Home Office to deal with the tragedy, while investigating criminal rings that smuggle Vietnamese abroad and rolling out measures to protect Vietnamese citizens.
A: Jayanta Chakrabarty of India emails us almost daily after listening to a program. He said he’s interested in climatic change and environmental protection issues. He wants to know what steps are being taken by the Vietnamese authorities to contain pollution from cars and public transportation in large cities.
 Peak hours in Hanoi (photo:bao |
B: Environmental experts say 70 percent of the volume of gases emitted into the environment comes from motor vehicles. There are many out dated vehicles which emit a huge amount of gases in Hanoi and HCMC. Environmental experts say that air pollution in HCM City caused by vehicles has become even more serious than the pollution emitted by factories. Cars and trucks with expired registrations are significant contributors to air pollution.
A: Action is being taken to reduce vehicle pollution in major cities. The law says vehicles used to transport goods cannot be used for more than 25 years. The time limit for buses is 20 years. At the end of a vehicle’s legal life, owners are supposed to go to their local registration office where the paperwork can be revoked and the car destroyed.
 CNG buses in Hanoi |
B: Hanoi has switched to compressed natural gas (CNG) buses on a number of routes. This is part of a project to improve public transportation in the capital city. Other solutions under consideration are to restrict the number of private vehicles and encourage people to use public transportation. Experts have repeatedly recommended replacing fossil fuels with some type of energy.
A: The Hanoi Transportation Department is encouraging taxi, bus and hired car companies to replace diesel and petrol with CNG, a fuel more friendly to the environment. In Hai Phong and HCM City, petroleum distribution companies belonging to Petrolimex are trying CNG as alternative fuel.
B: Hanoi and HCMC operate monitoring stations to measure the concentration of pollutants in the air. Other cities are planning to build similar monitoring stations.
 Hanoi is building a metro to ease traffic congestion. |
A: American listener Richard Nowak told us that he enjoyed the show on November 3rd on 7315 kHz. He listened with a Hallicrafters receiver hooked up to an outdoor active loop antenna and rated SINPO all 5s. He said the overall reception quality was perfect.
B: Richard said the Sunday Show had an interesting program on lacquerware, an art that has existed in Vietnam for thousands of years. Lacquer is used to decorate and protect household items. It has been found in tombs dating back 2,000 years. Artists continue to discover new way to improve the craft.
A: Richard said that, as usual, he enjoyed the informative news, the educational Sunday Show, and the beautiful music.
B: Lacquer painting is considered a national art in Vietnam. Now there are many lacquer classes where amateurs can make their own lacquer paintings or lacquerware such as trays, bowls, boxes, and jewellery.
 Lacquerware and fine art items |
A: Lacquer can be combined with other materials such as mother of pearl, eggshell, seashell, silver leaf, gold leaf, or fabric to create new forms of lacquer.
B: Indian listener D. Sarkar listens to our program every day. He says he wants to know about Vietnam’s national bird, national animal, and national tree and how these were chosen.
A: Vietnam doesn’t have a national bird, animal, or tree. The lotus is Vietnam’s national flower. Lotus is found in many places in Vietnam. It symbolizes the culture, ethos, and spirit of the Vietnamese people. It has a beautiful shape, colour and fragrance, and possesses commercial value.
 A lacquer painting course |
B: For Vietnamese people there is no other plant like the lotus, which signifies purity, serenity, commitment, and optimism. Although the flower grows in the mud beneath the pond water, it produces an intoxicating scent and some delicate colors. It symbolises the divine beauty that can come from impurity and dark spaces, as well as representing growth and prosperity.
A: The lotus is frequently mentioned or represented in literary and artistic works and has long been the inspiration for cultural events, poems, songs, and architectural works throughout Vietnam. The plant has also found its way into Vietnamese cuisine, with many chefs using parts of the flower in salads and speciality teas.
B: While they have no official status, the bamboo tree and the water buffalo are popular symbols of Vietnamese culture and daily life. The solid, straight, lofty bamboo tree represents the resilience, indomitability and encourage of the Vietnamese people. Since bamboo trees usually grow in clusters, they also symbolize the solidarity and loyalty of Vietnamese people.
 T'Rung bamboo xyclophone of the Central Highlands |
A: Many traditional musical instruments like flutes and the T' Rưng are made from bamboo.
B: The water buffalo is the main work animal of Vietnamese farmers involved in wet rice cultivation. It represents strength, happiness, and prosperity. In the past his buffalos were a farmer’s most valued possessions and were often treated as a part of the family.
A: We’d like to thank you all for sending us feedback on our shortwave broadcasts and internet content. We’ll send you verification cards to confirm your reports.
B: 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.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform, to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye until next time.