Highlights from RB’s June mailbox

Although we're in the season of the summer holidays when people travel and usually they have less time to monitor the flow of information from the media, listener letters and emails did not stop filling the mailbox of Radio Bulgaria. We received over 1,500 mails and letters in June and nearly 400 people called us on the phone. It is noteworthy that in addition to our compatriots abroad, many of our friends from abroad are also planning to spend their summer vacation in Bulgaria.

“I look forward to coming to Bulgaria! I can already feel the scent of the native Black sea. I'd like to meet with the team of RB’s Bulgarian editorial staff if you can spare me some time and introduce me into the secrets of radio journalism”, says Svetlana Karagyozova who lives and studies journalism in France.

Paul Frank from Germany said earlier in June: "I will soon be coming to Bulgaria and I will meet you so I am now in eager anticipation. To all internet listeners who are not familiar with Radio Bulgaria, I’d like to say the following: in the era of short waves it was for me an educational channel from Sofia, thanks to which I received a wide range of knowledge about your nation and the Balkan Peninsula. Thanks for that with all my heart to my friends from the German version. At the end of June we will celebrate with them a special anniversary: 60 years together with Radio Bulgaria”. Paul Frank is 80-years-old and has listened to RB for 60 years. At the end of this month, he met with current and former colleagues from the German version.

His compatriot Hans Martin Winner shares his impressions of his visit to Bulgaria: "Finally in May I went on this long-awaited trip through your country. I'm here for three weeks now enjoying an undisturbed rest. The first two weeks I spent in Melnik, a charming town with a rich history. As for the Melnik wine - it really is superb. And Melnik’s vicinity is a veritable paradise. Fabulously beautiful was also my Gotse Delchev hike and the mountain villages of Dolen and Kovatchevitsa. Now for about a week I am in Ahtopol, where the weather and relaxation conditions are excellent. In the coming days I intend to explore the lovely countryside in small villages in the Strandja Mountain. In early July, I will stay for about a week in the town of Tryavna in the Balkan Mountain. From there, I am planning to head off to the town of Veliko Tarnovo, Bojentzi and the nearby monasteries. There I will end my vacation during which I have already gathered a lot of new and interesting experiences and met a lot of new people. I can only wish your country and its people a nice, better future."

RB’s longtime listener Helmut Matt is also preparing to visit our country,
"The time of our trip to Bulgaria is quite near. My wife and I are already in anticipation. We look forward to meeting you during our stay in Sofia. Naturally, in recent weeks we listen with even greater attention to your programs because they give us very interesting and valuable information and the joy of our upcoming trip to Bulgaria is growing by the day."

Marius Dragulescu from Colombia dreams about a trip on bike across Bulgaria and Romania: "I am eager to attend an Orthodox Church service and see the beauty of the landscape in that part of the world," he says.

The letter of Kasim Nuri from Iraq contains several recommendations and a request: "I listen regularly to your programs and news updates covering mainly the events in Bulgaria. I'd like to hear more detailed features on the situation in the Arab world, mainly in the Middle East, which has been very complicated lately. For this reason I read every week the heading "The Arab world this week" in which you write about these events. I have one request to you: do you have the opportunity to send me a tourist guide of Bulgaria, because I really want to visit your country?"

Longtime listeners from neighboring Greece, Maria Dzamariya and Nikokirulis, wish to have the opportunity to visit Bulgaria and meet the members of the Greek section of Radio Bulgaria.

Albanian Leo Nard, who lives in London, also shares his experiences of his visit to our country. "At the end of May I visited Bulgaria. I have friends from your country who live in London. I was in Pazardzhik, Batak, Plovdiv and Sofia. I had a wonderful time. I liked everything - the people, the countryside, the food. I'll put pictures of the places that I liked the most," he wrote on the Facebook page of the Albanian version.

In mid-June, Afërdita Ibro together with colleagues from the School of Music and Arts in Tirana visited Sofia. At her request, the Albanian editorial staff met with her. Before her visit to the country she wrote to the editors: "For 30 years I have been regularly listening to Radio Bulgaria. I wish you enjoyable work on your wonderful programs. I am interested in diverse topics you offer."

RB’s listener from Kiev, Ukraine, Veronica Zbirkot, wrote via email: "I have been in Bulgaria only once, but I was fascinated and was long dreaming to visit again. I hope this summer my dream will come true. And for the time being, I am getting to know your country through your wonderful shows. I almost never miss listening to everything on folklore, culture, tourism and music. Thanks for your work."

RB’s listeners of the English-language programs, Tapio and Päivi Kalmi from Helsinki, Finland, send us “midsummer Greetings from the land of midnight sun and wishes of a nice summer”:
“Dear friends, it’s so nice to hear from you again. I will always remember how hospitable you were when we visited Sofia and Radio Bulgaria. We, I and my wife Päivi, will remember that day forever. And now you are dear friend of mine again. I will look forward to receive Radio Bulgaria QSL and I will let you know when we have received it. All the best to you all at English Section of Radio Bulgaria and families of yours”.

Among the most discussed topics in the letters received over June are the protests going on in Bulgaria for more than a month now. Stephan Mertens from Germany wrote: "It is really interesting how much power people have in a situation like the present one. Bulgarian people caused a lot of changes this year. Protests against electricity prices and monopolies led to the fall of the government of GERB and now within a few days had prevented the appointment of Delian Peevski. I can only say: I'm proud of the Bulgarians who have made this possible.”

Michel Minouflet from Paris says: "I follow closely the daily developments in Bulgaria. People protest and they are right to express their citizenship position and their willingness to live by the rules of fair play! Apparently, the summer will be very hot not only in Bulgaria but also in Turkey and Brazil... Many thanks for the interesting answers in the last mailbox associated with same-sex marriage."

"I am impressed by the civil protests of the Bulgarians. Yesterday you said that most protesters are educated young people, families with children who want to be fooled no more by crooked politicians. Unfortunately, both in Bulgaria and in France, we cannot boast of dignified public men and women...," wrote André Biot from Belgium.

Events in Bulgaria over the past few months do not cease to excite our regular listener from Belgrade Zhivota Djuric. This time he has devoted his letter on reflections on the reasons that led to the mass protests of ordinary people not only in the Balkans but also worldwide. According to him, the main reason for all current troubles is money because "today more than ever, everything in life is measured in money."

Listeners also share with us their opinions of various shows on Radio Bulgaria: "I read with interest your article about efforts to encourage young people in their interest in the teaching profession. In our situation is the same - the teachers do not get enough good pay, causing many of them to leave the profession and to target higher paying positions in the private sector. Very glad for the opening of the second bridge over the Danube, in this regard, I wrote in my blog post, which included a Bulgarian and Romanian folk music (http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com) My favorite section is Folkstudio and listened with great interest your recent publications. I especially liked the show on the symbolism of belts in Bulgarian folklore, and that on twins in the Bulgarian folklore, really great show. Enjoyed today's folklore broadcast on twins, it was fascinating! By the way, I have fraternal twin daughters. Keep up the good work!" says in the Facebook page of the English version Katley Brown from the USA.

Shahinur Alam from Bangladesh says: "This is a group of fans of the programs of Radio Bulgaria on your website. Your site is full of information. We are a group of 36 listeners who follow with interest your programs."

"Dear friends, it's been a while since I wrote to you, but I still listen to you. I am a listener of Radio Bulgaria since 1989 and since then I have not stopped. I would like to congratulate you for your well-presented and comprehensive news cats. I also like your programs on political events in the country, science and culture, which are very educational and informative," says Devan Rafikul Izlam, President of the Club of listeners in Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Bézazel Ferhat from Algeria, who listens to our broadcasts in French, thanks us for the diverse and full of good mood programs: "I'm a big fan of your column Life in Bulgaria. It tells about the processes and events occurring in Bulgaria. No other source of information can provide us with such thoroughness and objectivity of the information."

"Hello, friends of Radio Bulgaria! They advised me to join your radio. They told me that it is a very good radio. True, this is one of the best radios I've ever heard. I congratulate your wonderful team," writes on the Facebook page of the Albanian version Olger Mulla from Korce, Albania.

RB’s young listeners Halime and Ilhan Halmievi from the village of Padarino wrote the following: "The summer came and with it comes the summer vacation. Now you, the team in Turkish, are our teachers”.

Another letter received by the Turkish section here goes like this: “One day, while spinning the knob on his radio, I accidentally ran into the Turkish language broadcasts of the BNR broadcast on medium wave. Nowadays, when all public radio stations in Turkey stopped broadcasting on medium wave to hear the voice of Radio Bulgaria in Turkish is really exciting. Especially when you learn so much about the culture, history and music of the neighboring country! But the broadcasts are difficult to hear. Is it possible to have these shows broadcast on short wave, or at least to make the signal of the evening shows stronger?" asks Farouk Yoz of Izmir, Turkey.

“Of great interest for me was the material devoted to the Gavroche association. The issue of abandoned children is very serious," says Enric Ballester Burcet from Spain.

Claudio Martijena of Argentina also shows interest in the feature about the Gavroche association as well as the review of the sports week, including the theme for the friendly between the national football teams of Bulgaria and Japan and also Grigor Dimitrov’s participation at Roland Garros tennis tournament.

A high assessment of the work of the team of Radio Bulgaria came from Hans Gallasch from Germany. "I reviewed all your news and programs, some of them a little vaguely, but I read and listened carefully in all your sections: society economy, culture, music, sports, and listeners’ letters. I do this for years, although not as intense as it is today. Now that I spent several hours in your website, I lean back and ponder the things I'm a little scared. I think I know more about Bulgaria than about Germany, although a few times a day I hear our news and the weekly press reports and watch the news on television. This is probably due to the fact that your information is condensed, up-to-date and most well-balanced no matter whether you tackle positive or negative events. Such a thing cannot be said for all European stations. I hope your management evaluates this fact properly."

Dear friends, thank you for visiting our website and listening to RB’s daily one-hour webcasts and new bulletins. Don’t hesitate to contact us on any questions and suggestions you might have. The addresses for contact are english@bnr.bg and in Facebook at Radio Bulgaria English Service.

English version: Rossitsa Petcova

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Highlights from RB’s June mailbox

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