This week…in your letters

Excerpts from some of the letters and messages sent in by RRI's listeners

Diana Vijeu, 14.07.2017, 17:15

“It seems only a short while ago that I was looking forward to Romania’s joining the EU. Now we have Brexit talks as, by a narrow majority, the UK electorate decided to leave the EU. Back in the 1970s or 1980s, none of this would have seemed possible. But then, the collapse of Communism in Romania several decades ago would have seemed impossible. Perhaps one of the few certain things about the future is that it will not be as we expect it to be. Occasionally, I look at my grandmother’s atlas. There is Africa with so many colonies: British, French, Italian, Germany, Portuguese and Spanish. Coming to Europe, there is a large Germany stretching right across Eastern Europe with East Prussia and there is an independent Romania (but not the size it is today). The retreating tide of empire and the changes brought about by two world wars mean that political geography now is so different from political geography in the opening years of the last century. And , no doubt, the political geography of 2120 will be unimaginably different again. With every good wish from England

Brian Kendall of Petts Wood, Kent, in the UK

“As usual I am enjoying the broadcasts of Radio Romania International along with my family. You have indeed a wide variety of programmes to suit every taste and age-group.

Jayanta Chakrabarty of New Delhi, India

“ I am an English to Spanish translator, and I am finishing a BA in modern languages focussing on translation and international organisations. I have tuned in before to your radio station broadcasting in Spanish. And although the transmission I tuned now is not targeted to my area, it has been heard with good reception. As for the Radio Romania programs in English, I found them very well organised and very well produced. I have listened to them in many opportunities and the cultural and informative aspects they all have has been a feature that I appreciate very much about Radio Romania International. Also, I have enjoyed very much your musical programs and the listener’s mailbag. During the mailbag, you read letters from various countries, including the US, UK, France and the past Sunday there were also letters from the Czech Republic and one from a Brazilian listener. So, listening to Radio Romania in English is a very useful choice to know about Romania, but also about the main current events taking place in most countries of Europe. Additionally, the wide cultural perspective of Romanians is very well reflected, not only because you talk about Romania but also because you permit to the audience to know about how Romanians receive the culture of foreign countries when international events such as book fairs, conference and meetings are held in Bucharest. Finally, if my reception report is correct, I would like to receive a QSL card as verification. Also, I would like to receive your program schedule with programs and frequencies, please, and any other souvenir you are pleased to share with this Venezuelan listener.

Leonardo Santiago, Venezuela

“ I was surprised to receive a package from you the other day – my prize in the Radio Orchestras contest last year. It was all very much appreciated (…)As you can see I missed the first part of the broadcast due our having had a late lunch (with me doing the cooking and washing up). Programme details: Sunday Studio with the last segment devoted to the Transylvanian Trust Foundation, All That jazz (two renditions of classical music including Chopin), Listeners letterbox, A lot of nice music this time. This weekend has been marked by the TALL SHIPS RACES event here in Halmstad. The port is filled with larger and smaller sailing ships taking part in this contest. Yesterday I visited a huge Brazilian sailing ship which had come all the way from Rio de Janeiro. Later in the evening I had been invited to a cocktail reception onboard a training ship belonging to the French navy. I believe there was also a Romanian ship taking part. It was quite impressive seeing all those ships.

Christer Brunström of Halmstad, Sweden

“Hello and greetings from Texas in the United States of America! My name is Robert Runyan and I am sending the following reception report. I would appreciate a QSL. Thank you!! I am near Houston, Texas and using an Icom receiver with a 100 foot long-wire antenna. 12 April 2017 at 12:50 UTC, 7375 kHz. Reception is very strong with some minor interference from local thunderstorms. Very clear signal and enjoyed listening to the other reception reports a few minutes ago. The program then switched to a news piece about a visual artist. The broadcast then started to end by signing off.

Robert Runyan, Texas, the U.S.

“Hello, RRI! Recently I wrote on your FB page and was directed to e-mail address engl@rri.ro to send a reception report. I am from Žilina, Northern Slovakia. I am listening to your broadcast in the evenings on short waves via a R820-T2 USB dongle and a home-made up-converter which made receiving short-wave stations possible (…) I like that you have an English broadcast that I can actually understand since most of the stations talk in French and Chinese (I guess).I would be very glad to receive a QSL card if possible, it would be my first one. “

Matej Kurpel of Gastanova, Žilina, Slovakia