Why do Queenslanders stop going out in winter?
Every year when winter rolls around, we throw on our favourite old sweatpants, snuggle up under a fluffy blanket on the couch and prepare to stay there for the next three months. But why?
Sure it's cold outside, but plenty of people in other countries, and even just other states, live their lives by venturing out into less than ideal temperatures. In cities such as Melbourne and London, the bars and clubs are crowded all year round. Some days an American summer is colder than an Australian winter, yet they manage to leave home perfectly just fine. Canadians will put on their best winter gear and trudge through snow to make it to the pub. So what's our excuse?
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I asked around with some Brisbanites and they all had their different reasons. Queenslanders are so used to sweltering heat that the tiniest bit of cold weather makes them run home and hide in bed. Some girls don't want to bother dressing up when they can't show off in little outfits without freezing all the way from the house to the car, or waiting in the cab line.
Others just feel like winter is an excuse not to shave their legs, and therefore stay home to hide them. And some people just can't be bothered to find a fashionable way to throw on all of the layers.
Brisbane-based entertainment industry notable, Mandy Onassis, said "We are spoiled with year-round events in Brisbane and we don't get a lot of winter, so I guess everyone uses it as an excuse to huddle and cuddle indoors. With our winter days being so delightful there's only a month or two of chilly nights to dress for. I would imagine it must be hard for some girls to wear their vaginas out when it's that cold. #coverthatnoonygurl"
Clemency Cartillier at Brisbane Jazz Club cites our inablility to adjust to cold weather but is quick to point out that the iconic, riverfront venue has excellent heating!
But all in all, the main issue seems clear: laziness. Queenslanders take winter as an excuse to test out hibernation and take a three-month holiday from unnecessary socialising. We reach the middle of the year and tax time after working hard for six months without a big break, so we feel like we deserve some time to stay in and relax. There's only one problem with this.
Brisbane wants to be a world city. We want tourism, we want performing artists to come and play here, and we want to be seen as a city worth visiting. But how can we ever expect that to happen if we're only willing to make the effort nine months out of the year.
Sales of some concert tickets this winter are significantly lower in Brisbane than they are in Sydney or Melbourne. And the results are showing with some artists skipping the Brisbane leg of an Australian tour.
So Brisbane... if you want your city to get the attention it needs, if you want your city to continue hosting the good quality concerts and events that it does, and, most importantly, if you want to remember what it's like to have fun, then I have one piece of advice for you – toughen up. Go outside and brave the cold weather. Layer up those clothes. Girls, wear a pair of tights and a nice jacket with those little black dresses, I promise you'll still look good. The fluffy blanket and the DVDs will still be there when you get home.
