😲 Czech Reporter Enjoy San Francisco, But Thief man Spoil Di Show
⬇️ Pidgin ⬇️ ⬇️ Black American Slang ⬇️ English
🌍 Today News Tori: As Bohumil Vostal, wey be reporter for Czech public television, bin dey enjoy im Sunday for San Francisco, touring art gallery, visiting Chinatown, and even driving go Golden Gate Bridge with vintage Volkswagen bus, im no know say wahala dey wait am.
Im plan na to wrap up im segment for City Lights Bookstore, wey be indie shop wey help start beat poetry movement. But as San Francisco wan show im better side, especially with all di big ogas for di Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference wey Presido Biden and other world leaders dey attend, one bad thing come happen.
For road wey dey across di bookstore, some bad guys wey wear ski mask just rush Vostal and im cameraman. Dem point gun for Vostal head and di cameraman belle, tell dem make dem no make noise. Na so di bad guys grab camera, lights, and tripod wey worth about $18,000, enter moto drive comot. Vostal just dey try remember di moto number but e no work.
E talk say, “Dem carry my research, my time, my ideas,” as e dey vex say all im footage don loss.
Dis kain thing no be wetin San Francisco leaders want at all. Dem don clean di city, put plenty law people for street, all to show di better side of San Francisco, wey im reputation don drop since pandemic start.
For di media center wey dey near APEC meeting, city don prepare swag, bring local celebrities like San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and Lou Seal, mascot of San Francisco Giants, to impress journalists. Dem even dey offer free tour go places like museum exhibits and Chase Center where Golden State Warriors dey play.
Even di top floor of Salesforce Tower, wey be di tallest building for San Francisco, get special tour.
But San Francisco get plenty to prove. Foreign journalists don see di same bad news and social media videos wey show public drug use, homelessness, and car break-ins.
Yuki Ishii from Fuji Television Network for Japan talk say she hear plenty things about San Francisco and expect di worst. “We think say we go see zombies,” na wetin she talk. But she say so far, e dey okay.
Near City Hall, Ilmari Reunamaki, TV reporter from Finland, talk say im dey try show di city in “a fair way,” but no too sure. Im crew dey film for United Nations Plaza, wey just get new look with skateboard park and outdoor cafe with pingpong tables.
Joyce Tseng, TV reporter from TaiwanPlus, talk say she find San Francisco cleaner and busier than before. Her friends and family dey worry for her, warn am make she no waka alone for night, especially as she be woman. “I tell dem say na for APEC! All di big leaders dey come!” na wetin she talk. But still, dem dey concerned.
As for Vostal, dis kind attack no be new thing for Bay Area media crews. Dem dey carry plenty expensive equipment, so dem dey at risk.
Bay Area TV stations don dey send their journalists with private security. For sad case wey happen like two years ago, Kevin Nishita, former police officer wey dey work as security guard, die for Oakland as e dey try protect TV crew from robbery.
San Francisco people don try show love for Vostal after di attack. After e and im cameraman report give police, dem go Irish Bank, bar near their hotel, for beer. Di bartender and other customers, wen hear di story, buy dem drinks, hug dem, and tell dem make dem come back San Francisco again.
On Monday, di two journalists go City Hall to film interview with Mayor London Breed, using smaller camera and lights wey local TV station donate. Di Mayor assure dem say police dey work hard to find di culprits.
“I no know when, but we go return,” na wetin Vostal promise. “And we go produce very nice reports about San Francisco.”
NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG
😲 Czech Reporter’s Cool San Fran Trip Ends with a Twist
🌍 What’s Going Down: So, Bohumil Vostal, this reporter from the Czech Republic, was all set to capture the best of San Francisco. Dude was hitting up art galleries, strolling through Chinatown, and even took a sweet ride to the Golden Gate Bridge in a vintage Volkswagen. His plan? To wrap it all up at City Lights Bookstore, that cool spot known for kick-starting the beat poetry scene.
But then, San Fran showed its other side. Right there across from the bookstore, some cats in ski masks jumped Vostal and his cameraman. They pulled guns on them, snatching their gear – we’re talking a camera, lights, tripod, all adding up to about $18,000. Vostal tried to peep the getaway car’s plates, but no luck.
Man, you could feel his frustration. “They took my research, my time, my ideas,” he said, all bummed about losing his footage.
This whole mess wasn’t part of the vibe San Francisco was trying to put out, especially with the big Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meet happening, with President Biden and other global big shots in town.
To amp up the city’s image, officials set up a media center right next to the APEC spot, loaded with city-themed goodies. They even got appearances from the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and Lou Seal, the mascot for the Giants. Plus, they were tossing out free tours – boat rides, museum visits, and a peek behind the scenes at the Chase Center where the Warriors do their thing.
The hottest ticket? A tour of the top floor of the Salesforce Tower, giving you those killer views of the bay.
But let’s keep it real – San Fran’s got a rep to fix. Journalists from abroad have seen the same wild headlines and social media clips that we have, showing the city’s struggles with drugs, homelessness, and car break-ins.
When Yuki Ishii from Japan’s Fuji TV got to town, she was bracing for the worst. “We thought we’d see zombies,” she said, not even joking. But so far, things were looking alright.
Over by City Hall, Finnish reporter Ilmari Reunamaki was trying to give San Fran a fair shake in his coverage. He and his crew were filming at the revamped United Nations Plaza, now rocking a skateboard park and a café with ping-pong.
TaiwanPlus reporter Joyce Tseng noticed a cleaner, more bustling San Fran compared to her last visit. Despite warnings from her folks about walking alone at night, she was there to cover APEC and the gathering of world leaders.
Vostal’s experience, though, is part of a larger issue for media crews in the Bay Area. They’re often targets because they’re out in the open with pricey equipment. Some stations have even started rolling with private security. Tragically, about two years back, Kevin Nishita, an ex-cop turned security guard, was shot and killed in Oakland while guarding a TV crew.
After the robbery, San Franciscans showed some love to Vostal and his cameraman. They hit up the Irish Bank bar, where the locals, touched by their story, bought them rounds and gave them some warm embraces, encouraging them to come back to the city.
On Monday, the reporters, with a backup camera and some donated lights, met up with Mayor London Breed at City Hall. She assured them the cops were on the case, trying to find those who did them wrong.
“I don’t know when, but we’ll be back,” Vostal promised. “And we’ll make some great reports about San Francisco.”
NOW IN ENGLISH
😲 Czech Reporter’s San Francisco Experience Marred by Robbery
🌍 Today’s News Update: Bohumil Vostal, a correspondent for Czech public television, was soaking up the best of San Francisco on a sunny Sunday. He had a full day, touring art galleries, exploring Chinatown, and even taking a trip to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in a classic Volkswagen bus. His plan was to conclude his report in front of City Lights Bookstore, a famous indie shop pivotal to the beat poetry movement.
However, San Francisco’s grittier reality struck unexpectedly. As Vostal prepared for his segment near the bookstore, a group of ski-masked assailants ambushed him and his cameraman. Brandishing guns, they demanded the crew’s equipment, making off with around $18,000 worth of gear, including a camera, lights, and a tripod. In a state of shock, Vostal tried in vain to memorize the getaway car’s license plate.
“They took my research, my time, my ideas,” Vostal expressed his frustration, lamenting the loss of all his footage.
This incident was far from the narrative San Francisco’s leaders hoped to present, especially during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. The city had made extensive efforts to clean up and boost law enforcement presence on the streets, aiming to showcase its positives to the world, including President Biden and other global leaders.
Adjacent to the APEC event, city officials set up a media center filled with San Francisco-themed merchandise and featuring appearances by local celebrities like the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and Lou Seal, the mascot of the San Francisco Giants. They also organized complimentary tours for journalists, offering boat rides on the bay, museum visits, and behind-the-scenes experiences at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.
The tour of Salesforce Tower’s top floor, boasting panoramic views of the bay, was particularly popular among visiting media.
Despite these efforts, San Francisco has had to contend with a tarnished image, marked by public drug use, homelessness, and frequent car break-ins – issues widely publicized through dystopian headlines and social media.
Journalists like Yuki Ishii from Japan’s Fuji Television Network arrived with apprehensions, expecting to encounter a city struggling with severe social issues. “We were thinking there might be zombies,” Ishii commented, reflecting the extent of negative expectations.
Finnish television reporter Ilmari Reunamaki near City Hall aimed to present a balanced view of San Francisco but remained unsure about the accuracy of his portrayal. His crew filmed in United Nations Plaza, recently renovated with new amenities like a skateboard park and an outdoor café featuring ping-pong tables.
Joyce Tseng from TaiwanPlus noted a cleaner and busier San Francisco compared to her last visit, despite warnings from friends and family about walking alone at night, given her gender. “I told them: ‘This is for APEC! All the world leaders are coming!'” she shared, despite ongoing concerns for her safety.
The attack on Vostal reflects a recurring threat faced by media crews in the Bay Area, often targeted for their expensive equipment. In response, local television stations have resorted to accompanying their journalists with private security guards. In a tragic incident two years ago, Kevin Nishita, a former police officer working as a security guard, was fatally shot in Oakland while protecting a TV crew during a robbery coverage.
In a gesture of solidarity, San Franciscans rallied around Vostal and his colleague. After reporting the incident to the police, they visited the Irish Bank, a nearby bar, for a much-needed beer. Touched by their story, the bartender and patrons offered them multiple rounds, hugs, and encouragement to revisit San Francisco.
On Monday, the journalists proceeded to City Hall with a backup camera and lights donated by a local TV station to interview Mayor London Breed. She reassured them of the ongoing police efforts to apprehend the culprits.
“I don’t know when, but we will return,” Vostal pledged. “And we will produce very nice reports about San Francisco.”
