Calgary, old and new contrasts

All Photos: Daniel C. Bach 2010

a day in the life; foreign reporting

I awoke this morning at a strange hour – 02:45 local time to be exact, hoping of course to catch the action of the world junior hockey final. It seemed it was intermission, from what I could make out in Czech, so I hit the iSnooze and awoke to the next digital jingle – just in time to catch the start of overtime, and the subsequent slaying of the Canadians off the stick of the young American. I went back to sleep, devastated. I had told my American journalist friends last night – over dinner at some tiny beer hall down some cobbled medieval lane - that they were sure to lose.

I remember sitting up five years ago in Granada, Spain, listening to Canada win their first in a string of five successive championships on the radio. I told the story of us celebrating the championship from Spain to a friend who was the goaltender of that championship team – we both that was pretty cool. Anyways, back to the point....

My day actually started at a more acceptable hour – 06:15 – when I awoke to get ready for a train trip into rural Bohemia. I grabbed a shower and a double espresso, and then ate my baguette breakfast at the tram stop, trying to stay warm as the snow came down again in seriously freezing temperatures.

Another new year

Hello,

First off, my best wishes to everyone at the start of a new decade.

In continuing with my tradition of beginning the New Year abroad, I’ve met up with some old friends in Prague. Photographs, travel tips, cultural nuances and dining experiences to be shared with you soon of course.

I`ve met up with two of my Parisian pals, Alex and Ben, who have taken the opportunity to tour Central Europe – Bratislava and Vienna so far – with their friend Nabil, after I suggested they join us in Prague to celebrate 2010. You can follow their exploits and adventure tales through the online travel community they operate, Hejorama.

I`m in Prague doing some reporting on Canadian-Czech relations for a magazine based here (which has proved extremely difficult with a inconsistent wireless connection at this hostel), and will be taking the opportunity to explore the town and culture a little further, while also relaxing and hopefully practicing my photography.

After a long journey to the Czech Republic via Frankfurt, and a chilly and wild New Year`s celebration, I`m settling into daily life here from a smart and stylish boutique hostel not far from the Old Town. As always, I`ll share the location with you after I`m long gone.

Gone now for more coffee, to meet some folks, get a massage, and enjoy another evening on the town – Czech beer and sushi later.

Ciao!
Daniel C.

Raising the craft of journalism; undergraduate critique

This is something I wrote recently for an in-class final exam. I thought you would like to read it, as it seems to make a little more sense now that I've quickly read it again. Maybe you'll agree, especially you journalism students out there.

 The topic is of something very important to me as a journalist, and something I'll always study further. The changing game of the journalist. I'll keep you posted on news from the field.

And so the question was posed.....What is a journalist?

Daniel wrote: