Paco en Hobart: Expresar Deseos y la Arquitectura de Tasmania en Inglés

Paco's Arrival in Hobart

The big red and white ship which links Tasmania and the mainland, The Spirit of Tasmania, is docking at Hobart, the capital city. On this occasion, before going to the hotel he will stay in, Paco must go to the centre of the city to buy a new mobile phone, since his old mobile had fallen into the sea.

As he walks, he notices all the houses in Hobart are of different shapes and colours. 'I wish I had a house like that', he thinks when he sees a tall, square, red house on the right.

At the Mobile Phone Shop

He enters the shop and asks the shop assistant for a mobile phone. He buys a small, modern, black mobile ('This is the third mobile I have bought this year; if only I had been more careful', Paco says to himself).

While the kind shop assistant is preparing the bill, Paco asks him about the beautiful houses he has seen. The man explains that Tasmanian people are very individualistic and continues:

“One way Australians express their individuality is through the homes in which they live. Houses come in a great variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, some with very interesting architecture, and virtually no two houses are alike.”

• Basements and Levels: Houses built on level ground rarely have basements, but of course those thousands that are built on the steep hillsides of Tasmania have two or more levels.
• Fences and Privacy: Houses in town tend to be very close together. Fences are found along almost every border between houses, as Australians value their privacy.
• Roofing: Most houses have a ceramic tile or corrugated tin roof — virtually no other types of roofing are seen in Tasmania.
• Holiday Shacks: Many Australians who live in city or suburban areas also have a shack or vacation home in the mountains or by the beach. An Aussie holiday shack is usually a fully-equipped home.
• Heating: The vast majority of homes do not have central heating. Many use wood heaters (wood stoves), but electric heat is also very popular. Most electrical power comes from a network of hydroelectric power stations found all over the state. Gas heaters and heat pumps are sometimes installed...

Leaving the Shop

The shop assistant was going to continue speaking, but Paco, amazed, tells him he is in a hurry. He thanks the shop assistant for both the service and the perfect explanation about Tasmanian houses and leaves the shop. Out on the street, he says: 'I wish I hadn't asked him about the houses...'