An Unhappy Smile?

I have just had the misfortune to sit through five minutes of a TV programme called Eastenders.

This programme has all the warmth and humour of cold turkey at a funeral. For the people who are not resident in Britain and are reading this, you may not know what I’m talking about.

The programme is set in the East End of London, which is home to a group of people known as Cockneys or as they like to say Cock,eneys! These people used to be seen as happy chirpy types such as Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. (I know he’s not a real Cockney, see previous posts)

If you asked them to describe themselves, you would always get, “I’m a Cockney, guv'nor, salt of the earth we are!” No I don’t know what that means either. The criminal fraternity or Cockneys used to have their very own language. It is known as rhyming slang.

Plates of Meat = Feet

Apples ‘n’ Pears = Stairs

Butchers Hook  =  Look

Load of bollocks = Rhyming Slang

Get the idea?

Now the East end seems to be all gloom and doom, no one smiles, and everyone is having affairs with their neighbours.

But this set me off thinking, which is never a good sign with me. Which are the happiest and the saddest countries in the world? So I had a chat with my friend Google.

The happiest country in the world, according to Forbes and other academics, doesn’t really come as a surprise to me. I have friends there who always seem happy and well balanced, Hello Annie, Rune and Christopher. The country is…. Norway!

When it comes to wealth, health, freedom and lifestyle they win hands down. Strangely Britain, America and Germany are not in the top ten - but Ireland is.

I’m part Irish and it wasn’t a very happy place when I was young, but on recent visits I can see the transformation.

Now to the saddest country in the world; the criteria for this by the way is the opposite to why Norway won.

I was shocked to find out the country regarded as the unhappiest people in the world. When you think of all the famine, wars and religious persecution that happens on this crazy globe of ours, these people wouldn’t come any where near the bottom of my list of unhappy people.

According to all the polls, Nigeria is the unhappiest place, I really don’t believe this. Surely the people of Somalia are having a harder time? Not only that but when you think of a stereotype you think of a happy smiling Nigerian don’t you? But now seemingly it’s just an unhappy smile.

On my own travels, the friendliest people I have met are the Portuguese and the least friendly. To be honest there’s good and bad wherever you go! But watch out for those Cockneys!

I don’t think you can really say what is the happiest or the saddest place because what makes you happy might not make others happy. After all people watch Eastenders and it even wins awards, personally I would rather have my teeth removed with a hacksaw than watch it!

But let me tell you now, that the happiest place on earth, at this moment in time, is here in my living room where my little five month old Granddaughter giggles and my family chat and I sit typing in the warmth after a lovely meal. True happiness.

And the most miserable place? Batley wins hands down!