Mail Roundup - June 5, 2023

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!

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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!

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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. 

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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!

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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!

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"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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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."

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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!

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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