Categories: Expat Life

London: what’s there to be blue about, Aussies?

APPARENTLY yesterday, the third Monday of January, was the unhappiest day of the year!

Commonly known as Blue Monday, the Poms love to get their knickers in a knot about this annual day of doom and gloom. But I just don’t get the hysteria.

Yes it’s winter and it’s fricken’ freezing (welcome to the UK!), yes my bank balance resembles the accumulative total of what is in the Greek and Irish coffers (yep – I am billions of Euros in debt…) and yes we have to wait a whole 11 months before Christmas comes round again (or more importantly, the Boxing Day Test comes round again) but there is still an awful lot to be happy about.

For one, as any good Aussie in London should be, I’m giddy with excitement that there’s only a bit over a week to go until arguably one of the most important days of the year – Australia Day. I am already anticipating that fizzy goodness (cold Australian beer) trickling down my neck as I rapturously sing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ (the Adam Hills ‘Working Class Man’ version – watch it below) with thousands of my expatriate countrymen.

But that’s not all! I am already thanking the sun gods that we have passed the shortest day of the year (way back in December – so passée, so last year) and that every subsequent morning I wake up, I know it is to a day longer than the last.

I am already a little bit too over eager about the summer holidays I am going to enjoy later in 2012.

And I can’t help but venture into my hotmail account every now and again to take a peek at the email confirmation that tells me I will be attending the Games of the XXX Olympiad (you’re right – this year’s Olympiad is very pornographic but there’s only 192 days to go until London 2012, just in case you were wondering).

So enough with this Blue Monday nonsense. Unless you are a Smurf, an Indian cricketer or someone who has popped out to the shops and forgotten their scarf, beanie, gloves, overcoat, undercoat, jumper and thermals, turn that frown upside down and get happy about 2012! You have a whole entire year to enjoy!

Adam Hills with Advance Australia Fair ‘Barnesy-style’:

Tim Martin

Tim is a professional journalist and television producer with over eight years experience in the media industry. Previously a television sports presenter for Prime News in Australia, Tim worked for almost two years as Editor of Australian Times. Tim's a professional producer, reporter and presenter - he loves his sport - and loves getting out and about in the Aussie community in London.