Mail Roundup – June 5, 2023

A roundup of messages we've received in the last two weeks

Vlad Palcu, 05.06.2023, 12:44

Greetings to you all!

Summer is finally here! The much-awaited
long, sunny days are here to stay, at least for another two-three months. Many
of us are already making summer plans as the holiday season approaches. Some of
you too have made plans for the change of season. For instance, Chris Malboeuf
(Canada) says so far weather here in B.C Canada has been a mixture of hot and
cool temperatures and just started working on a cucumber farm for six weeks in
Port Alberni. Good luck with your new setup, Chris. If it gets too hot, you
can always cool off with a nice and creamy Tzatziki.

As usual, today’s update rounds up some
of the messages we got at our office in the last two weeks. They include
comments, suggestions and feedback on RRI’s broadcasts. In case you missed
Listeners’ Letterbox, perhaps you can find some of the messages we aired here,
so make sure you check in every fortnight for regular updates!

***

We got a brief message from Simon Rudd,
saying English culture in the media has gone completely insane since Brexit so
it’s always good to try travel radio instead. Well, Simon, thank you for
choosing RRI airlines. I hope you’ve enjoyed your flight and on behalf of the
RRI crew, we wish you good listening conditions and hope to see you again very
soon!

***

From Finland, we
got a greeting call from Johannes Lammi, a 17-year-old from Espoo. Here is what
he added to his report: I always find RRI very interesting. Encyclopedia topic
I would not find myself to be terribly interested of, but history has never
been my thing. I did not and still don’t like many of the IDs and sign on and
offs being played by synthesized voices. Especially addresses I find the synthesized
voice to struggle with.

I think RRI too
should maybe examine the possibility of MW broadcasts during winter schedules
during the times of day when most of Europe is under darkness. I’m certain this
would open up RRI to more listeners without SW receiving equipment too.

Thanks for the
suggestion, Johannes. As for the text-to-speech software, it’s a temporary
experiment, very similar to what other public broadcasters are doing elsewhere,
allowing us to devote more time on creative content.

***

Also from the
UK, Grant Skinner sent us a new letter, adding in the comment section: Reception
here isn’t too bad. Needless to say, I enjoy listening to your broadcasts. I
get to meet with minds of people from diverse cultures. You are courier on the
airwaves. It enriches my life to learn from Europe on various issues. Thanks a
lot, it means a lot to us. Looking forward to your next letter!

***

David Jameson is
also from the UK, and he sent us a new report two weeks ago, adding: I found
your programme The History Show very interesting, as my granddad was a First
World War Army Scout and was a member of KSLI 2nd Battalion. We are
happy you enjoyed our segment, David. Hope to hear from you soon!

***

I am a regular listener to your programs as I welcome
the opportunity to stay informed about news and events in Romania, as well as
your country’s perspective on European and international affairs. I am also
keenly interested in arts and cultural programming, says Matt Francis from
Australia. Thanks for the comment, Matt. We’re happy you were able to tune in
to our programmes.

***

Siddhartha Bhattacharjee (India) wrote to ask if we
celebrate World Telecommunications Day on May 17. On May 17 Romania too joined
other UN countries to celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society
Day. Over the past decade, the
connectivity challenge has become more complex and demanding. Bringing everyone
online is no longer enough. Meaningful connectivity – the possibility to enjoy
a safe, satisfying, enriching, productive and affordable online experience – is
the new imperative. For least developed countries (LDCs), this remains a major
challenge. The digital divide between LDCs and the rest of the world shows
little sign of narrowing. The risk is all too evident. As the world becomes
increasingly adept at leveraging the Internet for value creation, LDCs risk
falling further behind.

This year, World Telecommunication and Information
Society Day (WTISD) focuses on Empowering the least developed countries
through information and communication technologies. The International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) calls on the public and private sectors to make
pledges for universal connectivity and digital transformation in these
countries through its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.

On this special occasion, the Special
Telecommunications Service (STS) in Romania published never-before-seen archive
footage of equipment and telecom utility vehicles used over 60 years ago, in an
attempt to show the larger public how the information society in Romania
evolved through the ages.

1989 was the year that marked the first documented
mention of state telecommunications in Romania with the installation of a
manual telephone exchange office with 5 numbers wired to the Parliament and
Ministries in Bucharest, and an automated exchange service at the Royal House.

In its early days, STS took charge of ensuring phone
connections and coded telegraph messages between state authorities. Today, the
Service is the main provider of telecom services to state to public
institutions and agencies across Romania.

***

It was a real
joy to receive another letter from Hidemitsu Miyake of Japan, who as always is
sending us goodies attached to her letters. Let’s take a look at her message.

May brings with
its refreshing breezes and fresh green leaves. How is everyone doing with your
project? It’s May already. Oh dear, I will become fifty-eight years old this
month. May is the perfect season for traveling. Golden Week the season of new
green leaves is the most comfortable time of the year. Flower Festival is a
festival in Hiroshima where I live, held during Golden Week. Children’s Day
falls on May 5. It is also called the Boys’ Festival and came from China. We
have Children’s Day on May 5 during Golden Week during which you can see carp
swimming in the sky. We have Mothers’ Day on the second Sunday of May during
which we honor mothers. Happy Mothers’ Day! The weather in May is mild in Japan
and sunny in may are called Satsuki bare.

Thanks for the
lovely message. First off, a belated Happy Birthday to you, I hope you had a great
celebration!

We’re also
grateful for the two enclosed photos of the Festival you spoke, you can see
them below.

We also
celebrated Children’s Day on June 1, it’s a great holiday for everyone, young
or old. Thanks for writing!

***

And speaking of
June 1, we also got a number of comments and message to mark this occasion. One
of them came from Mei Lin (China), and we thought we might share it with you:

I remember when
I was a child, we talked and laughed, sitting side by side under the peach
tree, the wind blowing in the forest and birds singing, I don’t know when I
fell asleep, and how many flowers fell in my dream. Do you remember? Our
childhood? Once upon a time, we had no cell phone, computer and internet, but
we could have a good time. Once upon a time, we, in twos and threes, chased
each other, and we could throw a joyous hurricane on the main road.
Once upon a time, we could have a good time with a rope and a few stones … At
that time, we had nothing, and we ran around everywhere, but we didn’t feel
bitter, and all we remembered was happiness. But when we grow up, we have more
worries, less smiles and heavier responsibilities. In the face of complex
people’s hearts, we live carefully, exhausted physically and mentally, and the
more tired we get. From simplicity to complexity, from kindness to dare not be
kind, there are people who can’t guess … … Today, on this special festival,
let’s forget our troubles, put down our burdens, get rid of our pressure and
simply be ourselves as children. Have a childlike innocence, do whatever you
want, don’t care about the eyes of others, and don’t leave regrets for
yourself. May you cherish the present, live in the present, always keep a pure
childlike innocence and be a carefree old child!

Thanks for the
beautiful message, we’re sure it will bring up fond memories in many of our
listeners!

***

It was not the
only reaction to our Children’s Day programme. From the USA, Tim Brockett also
recalled his childhood in a brief message to our station: I enjoyed your
Children’s day musical selection tonight. It brought back memories of my youth
when we celebrated Children’s Day in church on Sunday. It was a yearly event
and always held in June when the weather was warm and the gardens were blooming.
At the end of the sermon all the children were invited to the alter and each
was given a small flowering plant they could bring home to their Mother. My Mom
had six boys and we all went to church. So she received quite a few little
plants for her garden every Children’s Day. After church every Sunday our
entire family would sit down for a delicious Sunday dinner. Your broadcast
brought back beautiful memories of a bygone era. Thank you for your wonderful
show.

Thanks, Tim.
It’s always nice to reconnect with the child inside every now and then.

***

Tetsuya Yamagata
(Japan) also checked in on Facebook to say hello: I am a shortwave receiver
enthusiast. Others are reporting to get a reception certificate, but my style
is just listening ????
Especially RRI is one of my favorite stations. I am looking forward to
receiving not only English but also other languages and broadcasts for other
countries. I wish the development of your station and the prosperity of
Romania. Thanks for this very nice message as well.

***

From Russia, we got a nice message from Eugene
Kornykhin, who tuned in to our station from Moscow. Here is what our listener
adds: My hobby is listening to various programs on shortwaves. I love that I can
hear broadcasts from all over the world so easily! This is amazing. Many
thanks for your words of appreciation, Eugene! Don’t be a stranger!

***

A quick thank you to Timothy Marecki (USA), who wrote
in saying: I really appreciate that you continue to provide your service on
shortwave! I really enjoy listening to all your music, and am very interested
in your travel shows.

***

As usual, our friend from India, Bidhan Chandra Sanyal
sent us a new update regarding important celebrations in the calendar, this
time with a nice message about International UN Peacekeeper Day. Here is an
excerpt from his message:

Today, May 29 (Monday) is
International UN Peacekeeper Day. Like other countries of the world,
India and Bangladesh are celebrating the day with due dignity this year.
The outstanding contribution of the peacekeepers of all the countries of the
world participating in the United Nations peacekeeping operations is remembered
with deep respect on this day.

The anniversary is celebrated on 29th May.
On this day, all the men and women who participated in the activities of the
United Nations Peacekeeping Force are remembered with deep gratitude and due
respect for their sacrifice while maintaining the best professional attitude,
dutifulness, and devotion to maintain peace. This day is observed since
2003.

India has so far participated and contributed to
a total of 43 peacekeeping missions by deploying 180,000 troops including a
significant number of police personnel. According to a 2014 report, India
was the third largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions with 78,600
personnel. Among them are 995 policemen, the first police women’s force
unit under the UN. Recently, two Indian peacekeepers were killed in an
encounter to prevent genocide in South Sudan. The contribution of the
Indian peacekeeping force was appreciated by the United Nations.

It may be noted that as of October 31 last year,
India was the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping
operations. India has carried out 12 missions with 5,887 troops.

That’s really impressive, Bidhan. It
speaks to India’s commitment to ensuring and building peace in the region and
beyond. Thanks for sharing this beautiful message!

***

Before we end, we would like to take a moment to thank
our other listeners for writing. Our heartfelt gratitude thus extends to Guido
Panebianco (Italy), Igor Belevich (Belarus), Jaouad Saber (Morocco), Shivendu
Paul (India), Elma KD (Bosnia Herzegovina), Matthew Paul Till (UK), Howard
Sontz (USA), Xaver Hellmeier (Germany), Francis Lawlor (Ireland), Ethan
Malkovskii (USA), Madhab Chandra Sagour (India), Lorenzo Mainardi (Italy), Christer
Brunström (Sweden), Michael Andersson (Sweden), H.M. Tarek (Bangladesh), Bruce
Newman (Canada), Wasif Ahmed (Bangladesh), Afzaal Bhatti (Pakistan), M.S. Sreenivasa Raju (India), Kraig
Krist (USA), Per Alarud (Sweden), Art Wormald (Canada), Marsan Fritzen
(Brazil), Mikio Kohara (Japan), Ratan
Kumar Paul (India), Jayanta Chakrabarty (India), Hiromichi Kinoshita, Art
Wormald (Canada), Richard Lemke (Canada), Mohamad
Haidir Hasim (Malyasia). Malik Allah Bachaya (Pakistan).

That’s all for now! Stay tuned!

73