B: The question comes less than a week after we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, so it’s a lovely time to talk about autumn in Hanoi.
B: Autumn usually arrives in September, when the intense summer heat gradually gives way to cooler, drier, more pleasant weather. The city seems to take on a different mood at this time of year. The skies are clearer, the breeze is gentler, and the streets are filled with the fragrance of milk flowers, one of Hanoi’s best-known autumn scents.
A: However, it’s now way hotter than a normal autumn day, with highest temperature reaching 38 degrees Celsius at noon on Wednesday in Hanoi.
B: Yeah, the climate shifts are getting so noticeable. Anyway, Hanoi’s autumn is still with us. The autumn mood is definitely here and we just have to wait for the sun to go down to actually enjoy it. We hope someday you’ll have a chance to experience this beautiful season here.
A: Muhammad Aqeel Bashir of Pakistan says he was touched by our recent articles about children in Vietnam enjoying the Mid-Autumn Festival. He asks if children in remote border areas get to enjoy the folk games and festive food displays.
B: Given the socioeconomic disparities between urban and rural regions, community celebrations provide moments of joy for remote children.
A: In recent years, authorities and social organizations have paid greater attention to bringing the spirit of Mid-Autumn to children in remote communities. Here’s a report on how children celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival this year in the Truong Sa archipelago:
In the grounds around the sovereignty landmark on Truong Sa Island, children, parents, teachers, and military personnel rehearse performances and prepare displays of confectionery and mooncakes for the Full-moon Party.
Third-grader Nguyen Pham Ngoc Trinh of Truong Sa Primary School is very excited. “We’re very happy these days because the soldiers and our teachers are preparing the Mid-Autumn Festival. We make lanterns, rehearse performances, and talk a lot about the festive feast. The Mid-Autumn Festival is great. We have mooncakes, lanterns, and toys, just like the children on the mainland.”
The children’s joy is shared by their families, who take comfort in knowing that their children are cared for by the authorities. On special occasions, local officials, teachers, and military personnel work together to organise activities for the community.
One mother named Doan Thi Huong Giang said: “The children are excited about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Our family is preparing clothes, lanterns, and confectionaries for them. We’re happy the authorities, the school, and the soldiers are co-organizing this festival. Although Truong Sa is far from the mainland, the children are well cared for and have everything they need, so we’re happy.”
A soldier named Pham Thanh Long said: “Whenever we have some free time, we all pitch in. Some decorate the grounds, others prepare food, and others rehearse performances or organize games for the children. Seeing how excited and happy they are makes us happy, too. We want the children on the island to enjoy a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival, just like children on the mainland.”
A: Thank you, Mr. Bashir, for taking an interest in how Vietnamese children in remote border areas spend the festival time. And all you listeners around the world, please keep your questions and comments coming. We always enjoy hearing what catches your attention about life and culture in Vietnam.
B: Now let’s send a warm shout-out to Pekka Rintanen, a listener in Finland. Welcome back to the world of DXing, Mr. Rintanen!
A: Mr. Rintanen told us that after several decades away from the hobby, he recently decided to give DXing another try. And we’re delighted that Vietnam’s radio signals were among the first he received.
B: He reports receiving our Vietnamese-language broadcast on Sunday, September 20, on 9835 kHz. The Finnish listener said he listened with interest, even though he doesn’t speak Vietnamese. He attached an audio recording of an excerpt from the program.
A: Thank you very much, Mr. Rintanen, for taking the time to listen to VOV and for sending us your detailed reception report. We’re sorry to say that we don’t have the authority to verify reception reports for our Vietnamese-language broadcasts, so we’re unable to issue an official QSL verification for your report.
B: But we’re very pleased to hear that you’ve returned to DXing after so many years. We’ll send you the program guide for our English section so you can check our schedule and frequencies and, hopefully, tune in to VOV’s English broadcast sometime soon.
B: Happy listening! We look forward to receiving your next report from Finland!
A: I’m reading a message from Pakistan, where we have a group of very enthusiastic VOVWorld listeners. Muhammad Idrees and fellow members of the Jinnah DX Club in Layyah tell us they particularly enjoy the Letter Box program.
B: Every Wednesday, the Letter Box brings together listeners from different countries and gives them a chance to share their thoughts and listening experiences with other Dx’ers, said Idrees.
A: He noted that, despite their long-standing connection with VOVWorld and their frequent correspondence, their messages have not yet made it into our Letter Box program.
B: Mr. Idrees and all our friends at the Jinnah DX Club, we really appreciate your patience, your continued support and, of course, all the letters and reception reports you’ve been sending our way.
A: We receive a large number of messages from listeners around the world so, unfortunately, we can’t feature every letter in the program. But please don’t take that as a sign that your correspondence goes unnoticed. We read all your messages with great interest and highly value the connection we’ve built with you over the years.
B: Your emails and reception reports are an important part of what makes Letter Box so special for us and for other listeners around the globe. We hope to hear from you again very soon!
A: We’d like to acknowledge reception reports from Amir Jameel, President of the VOV Online Visitors Club in Pakistan, who listened to several of our programs in September on 7,220 kHz. He rated SINPO 44444, noting that the signal was usually strong and steady.
B: We’d also like to acknowledge a message from Chinmoy Mahato, who reminds us that every letter or email our listeners send takes time and effort. He wants us to feature at least 10 listeners’ messages in each Letter Box program.
A: We truly appreciate each and every letter and email we receive, even though we may not have time to feature them all on air. We wish we could!
B: A big thank-you to the VOV5 Listeners’ Club in Bangladesh. Here’s a shout-out to a few members by name.
A: Greetings to Wahida Wahi, who listened on September 25 and enjoyed our story on the Thang Long-Hanoi Festival.
B: Hello to Adiba Ava, who tuned in on September 26 and enjoyed our story on the Full-Moon Lantern Festival in Tuyen Quang province.
A: And warm greetings to Tanjim Tatini, who enjoyed our September 28 Current Affairs story “Global Vietnamese talent harnessed for national development.”
B: Thank you to all our dear listeners. Your messages let us know which programs and stories are reaching you.
A: And remember, you can stay in touch with VOVWorld on shortwave, at vovworld.vn, on Facebook, and through our podcasts. Wherever you are, we hope you’ll stay tuned and keep in touch with us! Good bye.
