Author: Vlad Palcu

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

Hello everyone!

May is almost at
an end, with its lovely scents and cool breeze. After a rainy couple of weeks,
the weather is picking up, to the extent that we’re looking at average
temperatures in the high twenties. With bright and warm days ahead, we are also hoping reception conditions will improve in the region and everyone else, as many of you have signalled a number of related issues.

***

A word of
appreciation goes to Akira Takei (Japan) who just wrote in to say he loves
listening to our Simply Folk show devoted to Romanian traditional music. We know many of other listeners in your region enjoy our folk segments, which is why we have a 3-minute slot devoted to this genre on a daily basis.

***

A nice greeting
also came from Cyril MacDonald (Canada), who wrote: By the way, I love the
traditional and modern music played on RRI as well as the very informative
cultural reports frequently heard. I also greatly appreciate the beautiful QSL
cards and stamps from Romania. Keep up the great work! Thanks, Cyril, your words mean a lot!

***

Mei Lin (China) wrote to us, commenting
on the recent WHO report concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health
Organization declared that the COVID-19 epidemic no longer constitutes a
public health emergency of international concern, which indicates
that one of the most deadly and economically destructive epidemics in modern
history is fading, because the disease that caused the epidemic has become a
routine disease.

The
WHO said on the 5th that Covid-19 still exists, but the downward trend of the
pandemic has been going on for more than a year because people everywhere have
established immunity to the virus. The mortality rate has decreased, and the
pressure on the health system has also been reduced. These trends have enabled
most countries to return to pre-epidemic life, although COVID-19 is still
spreading.

This
is a moment worthy of celebration and reflection. The world has made sacrifices
to fight this virus and established new systems and technologies. However, the
lack of global coordination, fairness and solidarity means that resources have
not exerted their maximum potential and lost lives that should not have been
lost.

Covid-19
has changed our world and also changed us. But I believe that after this
experience, all of us will become better!

It is as you say, Mei – the COVID
has been a terrible experience for all of us, but together we have emerged
stronger and are now moving forward.

***

On the first Sunday of May we marked
World Laughter Day. On this occasion, Bidhan Chandra Sanyal (India) shared with
us more information about this event.

There is no substitute for laughter, be it for
yourself or for others. There is no better medicine in this world than
laughter. When you smile, the mind and body are all good. Improves
mood and reduces physical pain. Laughter relieves any mental
thoughts. So this World Laughter Day is undoubtedly a special day.
But since when and why was this special day introduced?

World Laughter Day is celebrated
on the first Sunday of May every year. In 1963, Harvey Ball first created
the smiley symbol for some commercial reasons. After that, this sign
became popular to signify something good or encourage.

World Smile Day was first
celebrated in 1999 with that symbol in front. And after Harvey’s death in
2001, the day is commemorated annually by the World Smile Foundation.
However, it is known from another source that Dr. World Laughter Day was
first launched in 1998 by Madan Kataria.

World Laughter Day was first
celebrated in India. It was started on 10 May 1998 in the city of Mumbai,
India by Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of the global laughter yoga
movement. Dr. Kataria, a family doctor, was inspired to start the Hasi
Yoga movement out of an interest in knowing how a person’s emotions are
affected by facial expressions or reaction projections.

To celebrate the World
Laughter Day and to keep good spirits, many laughter clubs are created around
the world. These types of clubs usually organize various entertainment
programs like singing, dancing and laughing contests. Also Ho ho,
ha-ha-ha and Very good, very good, ya! etc. is shouted
over and over again, which gradually turns into laughter.

The information is much appreciated, as always Bidhan.
Thanks for sharing with us special events like this every week. Today may not
be World Laughter Day, but we still take this opportunity to share with you
this classic joke. It’s, as they say, an oldie but goldie J

A bear walks into a bar and says, Give me a whiskey
and … a Coke.

Why the big pause? asks the bartender. The bear
shrugs. I really don’t know, I was born with them.

***

This week we got
an interesting message from Dan Jameson (England), who wrote to us after a long
time. Here is a part of his message below:

Have not DX’ed for a long time, so when
patiently waiting for the broadcast to come on air, I was a little disappointed
not to hear any call sign

Top of the news was talking about the Romanian
governments emergency order on public spending, and then that of the coronation
of King Charles (isn’t that a spaniel?) III, here in England.

Ana Maria Popescu’s section on the Sunday show
regarding alternative music in Romania was interesting, as alternative music is
something that appeals to myself.
Mainstream music is overrated!

The interview with Romanian band Black
Lily’s was another interesting feature, to hear how English music and
culture has impacted Romanian culture was surprising. I just hope it stops at the level of music,
and that that Romanian Orthodoxy dominates Romanian culture deeply.

Due to the range in broadcast audio quality, it was
hard to clearly here some points, examples being that I couldn’t make out the
second word of the band’s name (Lily’s) and the song played from the album
New Era came across as Invisible dreams not the correct
title Invisible Strings…..luckily, Google was at hand. I have saved a track from the band on my
‘watch later’ list on YouTube.

All in all, the broadcast was very musical. From alternative, through jazz and into folk
music at the end. Sadly, not a fan of jazz
myself and folk music in another language is a hard listen in my humble
opinion.

I’m looking at making DX’ing and your station a staple
of my listening (and learning). I’m surprised just how many shortwave stations
have disappeared since the internet age, but good to know RRI are still on the
dial.

Thank you, Dan.
Sometimes we wonder the same thing ourselves, and yet hopefully our work
continues J Don’t be a stranger!

***

Michael Naven
(USA) has also recently written, describing reception conditions for his
frequency and adding the following comment:

Your program was informative and
professional as usual. I don’t seem to be able to pick up your west coast
English broadcast any more but the French and Spanish ones come in well. (Hablo
un poco de espanol.) I had 4 years of Spanish in high school. But My knowledge
of French is very limited. All these languages, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish,
French, including Romanian, are from Latin and have certain words in common.
But English is from an old dialect of German brought to the British Isles by
the Saxon invaders. The world speaks over 300 languages. Confusing enough? I
think so. But it’s very interesting. Keep up the good work!

Thanks Michael,
and keep practicing your Spanish J There’s
actually a famous series of parodies about Americans learning Spanish, here is
the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cKGyOE_jOI

***

We also greet
Dahmani Rachid (Algeria), who again sent us a nice message.

My friends and loved ones at Radio Romania’s
English section

Greetings of love and appreciation to all of you.

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to
express my heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional programming that your radio
station consistently delivers. As an avid listener, I have been captivated by
the diverse range of shows and the immense value they bring to my everyday
life.

Your dedication to providing varied radio programs is
truly commendable. The thoughtfulness and effort put into curating a diverse
lineup of shows have not gone unnoticed. Whether it’s the enlightening talk
shows, the uplifting music selections, or the engaging interviews, each program
offers a unique and enriching experience.

I would like to extend my appreciation to the talented
hosts and presenters who bring these programs to life. Their expertise,
charisma, and passion shine through in every broadcast. They have a remarkable
ability, and I find myself eagerly tuning in to their shows whenever possible.

One aspect that stands out to me is the quality of the
content. The depth of research, attention to detail, and the ability to explore
a wide range of topics with depth and nuance is truly impressive.

Moreover, I want to express my gratitude for the
positive impact your radio programs have had on my life. your programs have
become an integral part of my daily routine.

please convey my thanks and appreciation to all the
individuals who contribute to the success of your radio station. Their hard
work, creativity, and dedication are sincerely appreciated. I am really
grateful for the programs that your radio station constantly provides.

I look forward to continuing my journey as a loyal
listener and being inspired by the incredible shows your radio station has to
offer.

Thank, you,
Rachid. Your words of appreciation are an inspiration to us. Thank you for
being our loyal listener.

***

From the USA,
Tim Brockett also wrote in to greet us and tell us how much he enjoyed our
programmes. Thank you for continuing to broadcast wonderful shows on shortwave. My
friends and I enjoy listening.
Thanks, Tim, it was good to hear from you.

***

We also say
hello to Teruhiko Kachi (Japan), who also caught up with our broadcasts this
week and sent us the following message:

Of the recent programmes, I
was particularly interested in The History Show which aired earlier
this month on the Latinity of the Romanian people. I have learnt
that Romania has its origins in Rome, but has adopted a diverse range of
languages, religions, music, and other cultures. I am not a nationalist, and I
dislike extreme chauvinism. However, I often think about what a
nation is. Of course, language is not the only thing that characterizes
an ethnic group, but I am sure that language is also the most important
aspect of ethnic identity. In any case, the programme gave me various
suggestions. I look forward to hearing more programmes like this in the future.

Thanks, Teru.
Indeed, this is a topic for a broader debate into the constituents of national
identity, which vary across cultures and are highly specific for each nation.
We’re glad you enjoyed the programme.

***

It’s now time to
thank all the other listeners who took the time to send us messages over the
last two weeks. We appreciate the effort and are grateful to each and every one
of you. Many thanks to Alan Gale (UK), Najim Uddin (India), Ratan Kumar Paul
(Pakistan), Chris Malboeuf (Canada), Jaouad
Saber (Morocco), Ian Morrison (China), Cyril MacDonald (Canada), Hiroshi
Katayama (Japan), Hiromichi Kinoshita (Japan), Hiroshi Katayama, Mei Lin
(China), Michael Naven (USA), Saleem Chadhar (Pakistan), Malik Allah Bachaya
(Pakistan), Madhab Chandra Sagour (India), Jakub Denisiuk (Poland), Francis
Lawlor (Ireland), Paul B. Walker, Jr. (USA), Najim Uddin (India), Ratan Kumar
Paul (India), Richard Lemke (Canada), Tomasz Kotas (Poland), Debakamal
Hazarika (India), Michael Andersson (Sweden), Joandric Ávila Fernández (Costa
Rica), Sakae Onozawa (Japan), Abdul Aleem (India).

I know many of you are still asking when the QSLs for
2023 will arrive. We still have no word from our letters’ department, but we
hope to get them this summer. Meanwhile, we assure you every report you send
will be logged and marked for a QSL card as confirmation.

Wishing everyone a great week ahead, 73!

Hello everyone!

Two weeks have passed again, and the
time has come to review some of your contributions and feedback.

As always, we got an impressive number of messages and comments. We’ve also
been trying to answer the letters we got in physical format at our office. Of
these, a word of gratitude goes to Yoshihiro Toyama
(Japan), who wrote to us on snail mail sending words of appreciation for our
broadcast in addition to his reports. Also from Japan, on April 5 we got a nice
letter from Hidemitsu Miyake, who enclosed a very nice photo with cherry
blossoms, a cycling map and a flyer. Thanks for that as well! Here is an
excerpt from her letter: April brings
its refreshing breezes and fresh green leaves. For the past few days,
temperatures have regularly been over 10 degrees Celsius. The stronger sunshine
is an indication that spring has arrived in Hiroshima. Spring is a season of
mild weather. This comfortable weather is refreshing and the cherry blossoms
are in full bloom now. It is also a time for new employees to start their
careers. Thanks for sharing the local mood with us, Hidemitsu, I’m sure
other listeners can relate to that. We also got a nice letter dated April 10
from Nicholas Flessas of the United States, who is actually a first-time
listener. Welcome to the RRI family, Nicholas, it’s good to have you. Our
regards to Father Ciprian, who is local priest at the Greek-Orthodox Church in
his hometown of Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

***

April 23 marked World Book Day, a celebration of literature everywhere
introduced by the United Nations in 1995 with the purpose of raising public
awareness about reading books, printing books, saving copyright of books etc.
On this special occassion, our listener Bidhan Chandra Sanyal (India) again
shared with us the following information:

The
original idea of ​​World Book Day comes from Spanish writer Vicente Clavel
Andres. Miguel de Tervantes, a famous writer of Spain, died on April 23, 1616.
Andres was his disciple. Andres started celebrating World Book Day in Spain
from April 23, 1923 to commemorate his favorite author. Then there was a demand
to celebrate the day every year. Of course, that claim did not come to the
attention of anyone. One has to wait for a long time for the day to be
recognized in reality.

Finally, in 1995, the United Nations
recognized the day as World Book Day and started celebrating it. Since then,
every year in different countries of the world, April 23 is being celebrated as
World Book Day.

Note that April 23 is not only World
Book Day, but also the birth and death day of famous writers like Shakespeare,
Satyajit Ray, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. And for this reason, many people think
that April 23 has been chosen as World Book Day.

Just as it is necessary to eat
healthy and nutritious food to keep the body healthy, in the same way it is
necessary to give food to keep the brain healthy, functional and active.
According to recent research, the habit of reading books is brain food!

You can say, to keep the brain
healthy and active, it is only necessary to eat fish oil or turmeric regularly,
or to try a new language class, pulse book or math solution. Which will
simultaneously increase the memory and cognitive function of the brain.

But know that the habit of reading
books is the most useful and effective for the brain than all the above activities.
Reading books is good for the brain, there is no big secret behind it.

The director of the UCLA Center for
Dyslexia in the United States said, A student thinks much more while
reading a book than learning a language or writing something. Which allows
him to think broadly in the imaginary world, opening many new doors of thought.
By doing this, the brain benefits much more than learning a language.

Emory University reports even
better. According to a study conducted by this university, the function of the
brain continues even five days after reading the last book.

You will be very surprised to know
one more thing. As the story in the book describes the action, the brain
perceives the action and acts accordingly. Suppose you are reading a horse riding
story in a book. The brain will act as it feels.

Neurons start firing in the same way
when reading about a physical task. Motor neuron function is responsible in
this case. It can be said that reading books is a great exercise for the brain.

The world of books can give a hint
of a peaceful life. Childhood-adolescent reading habits or interest in exotic
knowledge can pave the way for future ‘real survival’. Exposure to a large
number of books can provide an opportunity to experience the greatness of human
life. We have to remember that stories like ‘Sonarkathi-Ruporkathi’,
‘Rakshasa-Khokshas’, ‘Turtle-Rabbit’ or ‘Tiger-Fox’ can give birth to each
enlightened child with a sense of self-respect and conscience. A dream world of
possibility can call him Kaguchuch, Feluda, Byomkesh, Harry Potter, Ghanada and
Crazy Dashura.

April 23 is World Book Day. On this
day, I accept the debt to Ishwari Patni and say that my child should have a
book in hand. Walking with a book means carrying a hundred gems in one hand.

***

It was a pleasure to receive a very nice message from our listener and
friend from Algeria, Dahmani Rachid. Here is what he wrote:

My
friends and loved ones at Radio Romania’s English section,

Greetings of love and appreciation
to all of you.

It was with great relief that I was
finally able, after several months, to listen to your programs, because the
signal strength has improved a lot. Thank you for an interesting selection of
programs and topics. I hope your technical staff will find this report, and the
ones I sent, helpful and I look forward to receiving verification. Fingers
crossed for good receptions in progress.

I just wanted to take a moment to
thank you for the wonderful content you share on Radio Romania. Your programs
have been so informative, inspiring and really brighten my day. I am grateful
for the time and effort you put into providing such great content.

Again, thank you so much for all you
do. You have made a difference in my life, and I look forward to continuing to
follow and interact with you.

Thanks for this message, your kind words are greatly appreciated.

***

Another nice message came in from John Jurasek (USA).

Although
I do not often write in, I am a regular listener to Radio Romania
International’s English Service to North America – I find your transmissions to
be highly informative and I always find myself learning something new about
Romania every time I listen. The Romanian musical selections are most enjoyable
likewise, and the news about Romania provides me with important perspective
that I would otherwise be deprived of.

Thank you for continuing to offer
your excellent programming via shortwave, I know that myself and many other
listeners appreciate it greatly!

***

Mark Hattam (England) – Great to hear an old favorite station still broadcasting. Thanks
for sending a new message after a long break, Mark. Good to have you back!

***

One
of our listeners from Mexico, Oscar
Arturo Ross Gurrola, got in touch after a long time to say: To this
day I keep listening to your station, many times with my son Arturo, who is now
8 years old and can easily identify your interval signal now. Once again, thanks for your great work: I enjoy all your
programs but probably my favorites are the ones about folk music and about interesting
and beautiful places to visit in Romania, as well as the listeners
mailbox. My warmest greetings and thanks to all the staff. Keep up the
great work and keep shortwave a worthy band to tune!

Thanks for the
message, Oscar. It’s also great to hear you are passing down your hobby for SW
listening to the new generation.

***

This week we also got a new message from Siddhartha Bhattacharjee of India.
Apart from his regular report, our listener addressed us a number of questions
regarding World Press Freedom Day, celebrated worldwide on May 3 and events
marking this event in Romania. Romania celebrates World Press Freedom day every
year, with multiple events dedicated to this important day in the
calendar. This year, World Press Freedom Day occasioned the opening of a
special exhibition at the National Romanian Literature Museum in Bucharest. The
event was organized jointly with the Romanian Union of Professional
Journalists. The exhibition, which opens a series of events devoted to
journalists in all fields, is intended as a starting point for a future Museum
of Romanian Press. The World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General
Assembly in 1993, and is designed to highlight the importance of and the need
for freedom of expression.

Our listener also asks if there is government control over media content
today. Right now, there is currently no government control over public broadcasters
such as TVR or SRR – the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, which RRI is
a part of. Unfortunately, the situation was not the same under communism. Prior
to 1989, government censorship expanded over all sectors of the press and
information was controlled and often doubled by propaganda.

***

West Bengal recently hosted the Radio Festival – Radio
Listeners’ Meet. One the sidelines of the event, the Meet also included an
exhibition of stickers, pennants, calendars and other souvenirs of a number of
radio stations, including RRI. More details about this event from one of our
listeners in the region, Shivendu Paul. Here is an excerpt from his message
below:

Murshidabad
Betar Shrota Poribar (Murshidabad Radio Listeners’ Family), an organization of
Radio Listeners of West Bengal, India organized an annual Listeners’ Meet,
which called Milon Mela , held at Berhampore Collectorate Club in Berhampore
town of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, on 5th March, 2023.

150 Radio listeners attended the 4th
Radio Festival including Conference, DX Radio Exhibition and published Radio
Magazine Betar Bhuban. The event brought together radio listeners, poets,
writers, and radio and TV journalists and announcers, Radio Club organizers
from different districts of West Bengal.

The Murshidabad Radio Listeners’
Family celebrates World Radio Day on February 13. It encourages people to listen
to radio, and informs them about the importance of radio in the modern age. Its
slogan is Listen to the Radio, Love the Radio.

On the occasion of the Listeners’
Meet published 2nd issues of a radio magazine called Betar Bhuban, which
publishes more than a hundred and fifty radio articles, poems and greetings.

The Meet included an exhibition of
Different Radio sets, stickers, pennants, calendars, and other souvenirs of All
India Radio Akashvani, Radio Romania International, China Radio International,
Radio France International, Voice of America, Voice of Vietnam, Voice of
Mongolia, BBC, Radio Veritas Asia, Radio Tehran, Radio Japan, Radio Sri Lanka
(Ahoban), Radio Taiwan International, Radio Prague, Trans World Radio India,
KBS World Radio, Voice of Indonesia, Voice of Turkey etc. Meet participants
were given bags, pens, calendars, mementos and Tiffin & a light lunch.

Thanks for these bits of info, Shivendu, I think our
other listeners will take an interest in your event. You can get an idea of how
the event unfolded from the photos below

***

It’s now time to
thank all the other listeners who took the time to send us messages over the
last two weeks. We appreciate the effort and are grateful to each and every one
of you. Many thanks to Pradip Chandra Kundu
(India), Allen Willie (Canada), Nasir Aziz (India), Anand Mohan Bain (India),
Karyono Wasmin (Indonesia), Sanil Deep (India), Lu Dacheng (China), Richard
Lemke (Canada), Abdul Mannan (Bangladesh), Siddhartha Bhattacharjee (India),
Chris Malboeuf (Canada), Dean Bonanno (USA), Igor Belevich (Belarus), Andrew
Kuznetsov (Latvia), Christer Brunström (Sweden), Norman Deveau (Canada), Mikael
Sjoberg (Sweden), Atsuhiko Takezawa (Japan), Adrian Micaleff (Malta), Koray
Kahvecioğlu (Turkey), Tooru Gouhara (Japan), Mark Pentler (Scotland), Edgar
Neuhäuser (Germany), Gordon McGowan (UK), Johann Höchtl (Austria), Michael
Andersson (Sweden), Masaki Ikeda (Japan), Erlend S. Ervik (Norway), Greg
Majewski (USA), Ding Lu (China), Paul Froehlich (USA), Wilson Sour (Australia),
Hideki Fujita (Japan), Debottam Goswami (India), Kraig Krist (USA), Artsiom
Kamovich (Belgium), Johann Höchtl (Austria), Kazuhiko Iwasa (Japan), Toshiki
Tsuboi (Japan), Martin Steiner (Australia), Jakub Denisiuk (Poland), Martin
Bobek (the Czech Republic), Anna Ravneng (Norway), Motokazu Katoh
(Japan), Ratan Kumar Paul (Pakistan), Alan Gale (UK), Malik Allah Bachaya
(Pakistan), Shobuz Mahmud (Bangladesh), Hans Verner Lollike (Denmark), Misayo
Tanaka (Japan), Najim Uddin (India), Tatsuya Yamagata (Japan).

By now many of you are probably wondering why you
haven’t received any QSLs for 2023. The reason is we haven’t received them
ourselves. Unfortunately, the English Service cannot control or influence these
delays, and we apologize to everyone for the inconvenience. However, out
Letters Department has logged every each of you sent this year and we assure
you every report you have submitted will be rewarded with a QSL.

Wishing everyone a great week ahead, 73!

Hi everyone,

The Easter
Holidays are over (for everyone) and we are very grateful to everyone who sent
us Easter greetings and cards. We still got a lot of them at the office this
last two weeks, and we would like to mention just a few.

Hans Verner
Lollike (Denmark) sent us an Easter greeting, also enclosing the photo below.
It is a tablecloth and Horezu set he bought from Romania while on his tour of
Govora.

This week as
well we received messages from long time listeners. One of them was Nicolas
Beaney-Weaver (England). Here is an excerpt from his message:

When I first started my hobby of Dxing at
the very young age of 14, I remember hearing your station on shortwave way way
back in the 1980s, that was when it was called Radio Bucharest. In fact that
was one of the very first shortwave radio stations I heard way back then – I
was using a very old pre second world war radio that had valves in it, with a
long aerial made of wire that I got from my father’s shed. We put up the aerial
with a pole that was attached to a piece of trellis in the garden, it was about
50 feet long and about 12 feet high, with the wire going directly into the
bottom of the window in my bedroom. I sent in a Reception Report to Radio
Bucharest, a few weeks later received a programme schedule, a lovely QSL card
and some stamps – my very first QSL card that I received, so that made it extra
special!!!

Richard Langley
(Canada) also recalled his first contact with Radio Bucharest back in the ’60s.

By
the way, I likely first heard RRI’s predecessor Radio Bucharest in 1964 on the
SW radio I built from a kit as a teenager. I have a couple of QSL cards from
Radio Bucharest from the mid-1960s in my collection. These are B&W
postcards showing Brancusi’s Endless Column and The Rumanian
People’s Republic Palace Square.

Thanks for the
trip down memory lane, Nicolas & Richard. It sure made our day!

***

The
cherry-blossom season is in full swing in Romania, but in Japan this
spectacular event is at its zenith. Sakae Onozawa (Japan) delighted us with
these pictures.

***

Siddhartha
Bhattacharjee (India) has sent us his regular reports these weeks, also asking
if Romania celebrated World Health Day on April 7 and if there are any health
schemes addressing senior citizens. To answer your first question, Romania does
observe World Health Day by means of various events, in particular held at the
level of medical doctors’ associations and employers. Medical staff are given a
day off on this particular day, with the exception of emergencies and on-call
staff. On April 7, the Romanian Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, delivered
the following message: The motto for World Health Day 2023 is ‘Health for
All!’ To be able to achieve that in Romania, we need to do a few things. First
of all, we need sufficient and properly trained medical staff, capable to
responding the patients’ needs with professionalism and empathy. We need
investments in healthcare, hospitals, expert clinics and family physicians’ practices.
We also need the people to confide in the healthcare system. As to your second
question, there are no other additional health schemes addressing senior
citizens in Romania other than the subsidized healthcare scheme all taxpayers
benefit from. A senior citizen with lifelong contributions to this schemes
benefits from medical costs covered by the state for any investigation,
hospital admission or consultations performed in state hospitals. Additionally,
citizens are free to contract private medical insurance to cover additional
medical costs if they so desire.

***

As the end of
the Ramadan was drawing near, many Muslim listeners of RRI sent us messages and
best wishes to mark this special occasion for them. Bidhan Chandra Sanyal
(India) sent us this interesting message, detailing customs and traditions
related to Eid-ul-Fitr.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the holy
Islamic month of Ramadan and the beginning of the month of Shawwal. Muslims celebrate this day with great joy
after fasting for a long month. ‘Eid’
means festival of joy, Eid means that which returns again and again. ‘Fitr’ means breaking the fast or breaking
the fast. It is called ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’
because this Eid comes at the end of Ramadan fasting. It is also known as Eid of fasting.

Everyone wears new clothes on this day. Feasts are organized from house to
house. Relatives, neighbors also share
in this joy. Muslims pray two rakats of
Eid on this day. Exchange of
pleasantries with relatives and everyone greets, greets and greets everyone
irrespective of rich and poor.

Eid is the biggest religious festival of Muslims. According to Islam, Eid comes twice a
year. First is Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival
of giving. Then Eid-ul-Azha, the
festival of renunciation. The
celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr started after the migration of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) to Madinah.

According to some historical accounts, the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) came to Madinah and saw that the people of Madinah were
rejoicing on two days a year. He asked,
what are these two days? They said,
Nowroz and Mihirjan. Nowroz festival is
celebrated on autumn full moon, and Mihirjan festival is celebrated on spring
full moon. Then Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
said, Allah has given you two better days instead of these two days, that
is the day of Eid-ul-Azha and Eid-ul-Fitr. At the end of the month of Ramadan,
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated together with joy.

Eid-ul-Fitr has great importance for Muslims.

Ramadan is believed to be a very holy month. In this month, good deeds, spreading
brotherhood among people and patience are encouraged and all evil thoughts and
habits are banished. And, this
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.

According to some ancient scriptures and historical
stories, Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated even before the advent of Islam in the Arab
region.

On this day, Muslims around the world share joy with
their loved ones and spread the message of love and brotherhood.

They all pray together in the mosque and hug each
other and give happy messages. The idea
behind greeting Eid Mubarak by hugging each other is to spread compassion and
love in the society.

A variety of delicacies are prepared on this day. Among them semai is the most common
dish. Also prepared biryani, kebabs and
many more. Family and friends are all
eaten together.

People express gratitude and love by sending greetings
and gifts to each other. On this day
everyone forgets anger and violence and pulls each other closer.

Clothes, money and food are distributed among those who
are poor or needy. Charity distributed
among the poor and needy on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr is called Zakatul Fitr
and is of great importance to Muslims.

May Almighty Allah open the door of happiness for all
and fulfill all dreams of all. Happy Eid-ul-Fitr
to all the staff, staff and listeners of RRI and their families.

We also received
a greeting from Sutomo Huang (Indonesia), who also sent us the card below,
adding: May this year grant you good
health, wealth and happiness this Eid.

We are grateful
to all of you for sharing this celebration with us, and on behalf of everyone
here at RRI we wish you Eid Mubarak!

***

A big thanks to
everyone who took the time to write to us, share their impression and comments
and many other beautiful things. Our gratitude thus goes to Mark Wallace
(Canada), Mikio Kohara (Japan), Richard Cook (UK), Toshiki Tsuboi (Japan), Joandric
Ávila Fernández (Costa Rica), Teruhiko Kachi (Japan), Cyril MacDonald (Canada),
Guido Panebianco (Italy), Reginaldo Anunciaçäo (Brasil), Malik Allah Bachaya
(Pakistan), Norihiko Ide (Japan), Vendel Boree (USA), Muhammad Shamim (India), Rob
den Boer (the Netherlands), Mohd Saiful Izham (Malaysia), Allen Willie
(Canada), Michael d’Entremont (Canada), Taylor Fosha (USA), Ricky Leong
(Canada), Abdul Mannan (Bangladesh), Nasir Aziz (Pakistan), Richard Lemke
(Canada), Anand Mohan Bain (India), Ratan Kumar Paul (India).

***

Many of you
continue to write to us asking to email them programme and frequency schedules.
While we no longer have custom-made frequency and programme prints, we will try
to send Word documents to anyone asking in the future. In the meantime, please
refer to our website for future reference.

Here is the full
list of 2023 summer frequencies.

RRI on shortwaves: summer frequencies 2023

RECEPTION AREAS	UTC	kHz
WESTERN EUROPE	05.30 – 06.00	9,700; 11,960 (DRM)
	11.00 – 12.00	15,130;17,630
	17.00 – 18.00	13,750(DRM); 15,180
	20.30 – 21.00	9,740; 11,975 (DRM);
	22.00 – 23.00	9,740 ; 11,800
AFRICA	11.00 – 12.00	15,320; 17,670
NORTH AMERICA (East Coast)	20.30 – 21.00	11,850; 13,650
	00.00 – 01.00	9,550; 11,620
NORTH AMERICA (West Coast)	03.00 – 04.00	9,850; 11,620
JAPAN	22.00 – 23.00	9,790; 11,650
AUSTRALIA	05.30 – 06.00	17,760; 21,550
INDIA	03.00 – 04.00	15,330 (DRM); 17,790

In the last two
weeks as well we had patches of really bad weather, with heavy rainfall
reported across the country. This might have affected our transmissions too, so
we ask everyone to keep monitoring their frequencies and continue to send us
technical feedback wherever they notice significant changes.

We also received
a number of messages from listeners who tried to send reception reports using
the form on our website. Unfortunately, due to technical problems, this section
remains unavailable for the time being. We apologize for the inconvenience and
kindly ask everyone to contact us at engl.rri@gmail.com
or write to our regular mailing address.

Until next time, 73!