A: Welcome to Letterbox. Here I have some letters talking about our radio programs.
Bob Nagel is a listener from the U.S. He tells us that he is always interested in hearing our News and Reports programs, for it's the best way for him to learn about what is happening here in China.

B: And our Australian listener Robert Huisman writes in to say:
"As always I am pleased to listen to CRI as I like your full and unbiased news coverage as well as your interesting feature programs. I also enjoy listening to Chinese music very much."

A: Thank you for your interest in our programs. We hope you continue listening and sharing your views with us. Next, we have Swedish listener Bo Samuelsson.

B: "I am 72 year old and I am interested in politics, economics, culture and technology. I would really like to visit China, but I am now a bit too old and tired for the long journey. But when I listen to your very interesting and entertaining reports and interviews, I almost feel like I'm in China! I especially like the easy style and varied content on China Drive and also the mix of western and Chinese music."

A: Thanks for your comments, Bo. It's a pity that you can't come to visit China. I hope our shows can help you enjoy an armchair trip to China every day.

B: Like Bo, Padma Surampudi is also interested in the China Drive program. Padma is an Indian listener who is now living in New York.

A: He tells us that listening to CRI is not just a means of getting information, but also an effective way to drive away his nostalgia being so far away from his home.

B: Padma says: "I wanted to thank all of you at CRI especially the China Drive hosts Yinan and Trevor for helping me get through my homesickness. Your shows are very interesting and can put me a happy mood. I love your style, topics and music. Thank you so much for keeping me company these days."

A: Hi, Padma, thanks for writing to us. I can understand your loneliness and homesickness while living in a foreign country. So I do hope our programs can help you overcome these feelings.

B: And I think you can also try to make more friends where you are. You might feel less homesick in the company of good friends.

A: Yes, try to enjoy your life there, and if possible, we hope to hear from you again to learn how you are getting along in the near future.

B: Next, Paul Peacock is a listener from Australia. He and his wife have just paid a visit to Beijing, and Paul writes us a long letter to share with us his travel experiences. But here in our program today we only have the time to read a few lines:

A: "My wife and I had the most fantastic time in our all too short visit to Beijing. We managed to visit all the most famous attractions. I'm very impressed with the cleanliness of the city, and we had perfect weather until the day we left when it became cold. Thank you China for being so hospitable and for the memories that will live with us forever. I was however disappointed that I didn't have time to get to see you all at the CRI headquarters. But I definitely want to come back and look forward to one day meeting you all."

B: Hi Paul, glad to know you enjoyed your trip to Beijing, and it's a pity you didn't get to visit CRI. When you come back next time, please be sure to find time to meet us.

A: Yes, hope to see you some day in the future. As Christmas is coming, many of our listeners have sent in their best wishes. So here we'd like to express our gratitude to all of you for thinking of us.

B: Among them, is U.S listener Sara Burt who is currently in Beijing and is very excited to have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in a special way.

A: Sara says: "I am very excited to have Christmas in Beijing this year. My eight-year-old son and I are performing in a play called "A Christmas Carol" with Beijing Playhouse. The cast and crew are all of our new friends and they have become like family to us. So although my relatives will be very far away in the U.S this Christmas, I still expect this Christmas to be possibly the best Christmas with my son ever, here in Beijing! We are having so much fun with the performances. I am enjoying celebrating the Christmas period with the audience."

B: Hi, Sara, it's wonderful you and your son are celebrating Christmas in Beijing in such an enjoyable and memorable way.

A: And thank you very much for bringing so much happiness to Beijing audiences with your performances. 

B: Enjoy your stay in Beijing, Sara, and enjoy your performances in "A Christmas Carol". Next, our old friend Brian Kendall from the UK says:

A: "I send my Christmas greetings to you and your other Western listeners. I have sent a card through the post. It includes a greeting in Chinese as well as three other languages. The shops here become extremely busy as Christmas draws nearer and so many presents are being bought. Perhaps you can cover how Chinese Christians celebrate Christmas in your programs."

B: Hello, Brian, thanks for your card and best wishes. If you and other listeners want to learn about how Christmas is celebrated in China, I hope you can stay tuned to our live magazine shows China Drive and Beyond Beijing.

A: Yes, both programs on Dec. 25th will feature stories about how Chinese people and foreigners in China celebrate the festival. Our reporters will go to different venues to explore the diverse ways Christmas is celebrated in China.

B: If you can't listen to the programs on air, you can also log on to our website at crienglish.com to listen online.

A: And for the last letter today, we'll answer a question from a Canadian listener Roger Roussel. He says: "When I was at high school in the late1970s, I remember that I, along with a group of other students, conducted research about Doctor Norman Bethune. Now I'm doing research on Bethune again. Are you able to give me more information about Doctor Bethune's presence in China? I would be very happy to learn more about his life in your country."

B: Thanks for writing to us, Roger. You know, Doctor Bethune is a household name in China thanks to his outstanding contributions to the Chinese people.

A: The Canadian surgeon arrived in China in 1938 during the Second World War. He joined the Chinese people led by Mao Zedong in their fight against Japanese aggression.

B: Against the gunfire of the time, Bethune performed hundreds of surgical operations on wounded soldiers on the battlefield. He often risked his own life to rescue others. He also helped the Chinese army set up hospitals and trained medical workers.

A: Unfortunately, Bethune died as the result of a bacterial infection in 1939 from a cut he received when performing a surgery.

B: Soon after his death, Chinese leader Mao Zedong wrote an article entitled In Memory of Norman Bethune.

A: In the article the leader spoke highly of Bethune's great contributions to China and called on all Chinese communists to learn from his internationalism.

B: Doctor Bethune was buried in northern China's Hebei province. He will always be revered and remembered by the Chinese nation.

A: Alright, Roger, we hope that has answered your question. Sorry we don't have enough time today to talk more about Dr Bethune. If you have any other questions, please feel free to write to us.

B: And that's all for today's Letterbox. Listeners Garden will continue after the break.