Oh Herminio. He managed to travel through Darwin to Adelaide and back without causing any major international incidents, but I was worried for a bit. He was excited to tell me about patting kangaroos, wallabies, seeing koalas, going shopping (he brought me back some Haigh’s chocolate! Mmm) and all the great things that happened to him in the airport. Oh yes.
He told me that Australian people were very friendly to him, all very nice. (I was a little worried he might experience some of the nastier sides of certain Australians but luckily he didn’t, perhaps the fact that he is about the same size as the average Australian twelve-year-old and therefore looks completely unthreatening helps.) In fact he even made a friend in the airport in Darwin, there was this Bronson, he was also waiting for a plane, and we talked mana. Herminio showed me a photo of his new friend Bronson. Bronson had a slightly caged look but he can’t have had too long chatting to Herminio, he had a plane to catch after all.
He also related that when he was in Darwin airport the first time, some security guards called him over and wanted to inspect his luggage. Oh yes, I said, heart sinking, wondering why Herminio was choosing to tell me about THIS particular bit of the travelling experience. Yes, Herminio said, I said to them, It’s ok, you have no need to worry, I have no bomb in my suitcase! Luckily these were guards with a sense of humour, so they laughed, and asked Herminio had he lived in Australia, or been before? Because his English was very good! Herminio said no, this is my first time to go to Australia. No worries! And they laughed again.
Herminio, my colleague, the comedian.
Anyway, one of the researchers he was visiting at the Uni of South Australia, Monica, her family taught him the expression ‘Have a good one’ (usually pronounced ‘Avagoodwun’). So now every time I leave the office – for lunch, for the day, for a meeting – he tells me to ‘Avagoodwun’ and wants me to respond ‘No worries’.
