Questions from class 7B to Paul in Australia

What subjects do you have ?
Do you have practical subjects like woodwork and textiles?
How many subjects do you study?
What is your favourite food?
What is your religion?
Do you have any PE (physical education)?
What are you doing in your spare time?
How hot is it in the warmest period of summer?
How warm is it an ordinary day?
Does it ever snow where you live?
Have you ever got attacked by a wild animal?
Have you ever got scared by a wild animal?

Translated by Malin Bengtsson

Hi Malin,

My name is Paul Jimenez. I live in Sandstone – a remote town 750 kilometres from the worlds most remote city and the capital of Western Australia – Perth. Sandstone has a population of 60 people. We have a small Post Office and Grocery Store, a Library, a Shire, Caravan Park, dirt Golf Course, a small Primary School with 6 kids and a dirt airstrip….

Yes, I do have practical subjects – like woodwork and metalwork.

My favourite food is spaghetti bolognaises and my favourite fruit is mango. I eat just about anything and I love to try new dishes – however I really don’t like to eat Baked Beans – this is something I avoid if possible.

In my spare time I do sport – mainly tennis and bicycling (my favourites). During the weekends I go out with my dad prospecting for gold. I found five nuggets already.

This summer it reached 48 degrees Celsius in the shade.

The temperature is usually between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius. That’s what we had the last two to three weeks.

No – it never has snowed where I live – we are in the desert after all. I only saw snow once in my life during our travels on Mt Kosciusko (Australia’s tallest mountain).

I sometimes get bitten by spiders in the bush but never by a snake or crocodile. My dad did get bitten by snakes. When we are out in the bush we are always very careful not to have an accident as we are very far away from help. We do carry a Satellite telephone with us just in case.

I’m not scared by wild animals such as crocodiles, snakes (some of the most dangerous ones in the world) kangaroos (who can be very dangerous if they want to be), emus or goannas (large lizards about one and a half metres long with very sharp claws.) I am amazingly rather scared of spiders – we do have some very poisonous ones --- that’s my excuse and I stick to it!!!

Hope this gives you an idea of my likes, dislikes and how life is in Australia.

Until next time your friend from Down Under,

Paul Jimenez