The Happy 101 Award

Anomalous Material just posted a Meme about 10 Things that Bring You Joy.

But before we start with mine… let me just say… “Forehead Titaes!” *giggles*

Okay, moving on… what are some of the things that bring me joy?

1. The sight of chocolate

In any shape or form. It doesn’t matter how pissy or how gloom I may be, I see chocolate and suddenly the world seems a better place. And forget about having a taste of the chocolate-y goodness.

2. People smiling without care

It’s not about smiling and looking good, though it looks good (I think) when people smile without caring how they look. It’s when they smile with their eyes, as much as they smile with their lips. It’s a good-hearted smile.

3. Leaves in the autumn, or dry leaves

I love the sound of dry leaves when I step on them. I love the crunch they make… it isn’t like stepping on bugs or crackers [insert Indiana Jones link here], it’s just a softer less creepy crunch.

However, I also love how leaves look like in autumn, especially in places like Vancouver. It’s just a vibrant sight to see that brings some sort of tranquility *sigh*

4. Discovering a great movie

It’s not about the films that everyone tells you should been watching or should have watched. It’s not about the Top100 Greatest Films of the Last Decade, or the films that everyone likes. Discovering a great movie happens by accident, you don’t know anything about the film, not the director, not the actors, what it’s about… nothing. Yet, you somehow end up watching it. Call it “destiny”. Like when I saw All About Lily Chou Chou because I liked the poster, or Memories of Matsuko, currently sitting comfortably on #3 of my Top10.

5. Fireworks

My family’s Chinese (and Latin America… check Modern Family for Christmas reference), so I grew up with fireworks for Christmas, and New Year. My grandfather used to buy this things called “tambores” which were basically drums of firecrackers. Really noisy, looked like a drum of dynamite more than pretty light fireworks. They would go off, and the cars on the street’s alarms would go off at the same time.

Two years ago, they put a gas tank where we usually did our fireworks, so fireworks are over for us at home… still, they will always bring back memories of my family, no matter where I was.

6. Films that you grew up watching

There are some films that all kids must watch, and there are some films you’ve watch as a kid that aren’t necessarily films for kids… how ever good or bad those were, they some way or the other bring back memories. I love how I end up saying “Oh, I remember this scene” whenever I catch one of them on television. Sure, it makes me feel damn old whenever I see a film of the 90s on TCM.

7. Post-it messages

’nuff said.

8. Almost 24-hr music rotation

I love silent moments — one of the reasons I always stay up past 3 or 4 in the morning — but I also love having my iTunes/iPod on heavy rotation. Sometimes I get melancholic and end up dusting off my CD collection and  give them a run on my DVD player.

There’s always music for an specific mood. Check out what I was playing when the Earthquake in Peru struck almost 3 year ago. Crazy stuff that day. Music rotation memories.

9. The internet

My gosh, I can’t imagine my life without an internet connection. I don’t carry a cellphone, and I certainly don’t like the idea of being “online” when I’m supposed to be out and about in the streets hanging out with someone. But when I’m at home, I love it.

Just thinking that 15 years ago, it took me a week to download one mp3 song. And that now I get to do most of my movie/music/book shopping online… with one simple click, browsing thousands of products from anywhere in the world. It’s like magic.

10. Friends met online

I met a couple of people online that I get to call friends. Hi, Julz and Mob. Hopefully some new friends will be made this year and in the future. I’ll look forward to meeting all of you. =D

Now, you’re free to answer this Meme in the comments, or you know… if you have a blog, you can make an answer post and link back. Looking forward to those~

by the way, 2 BONUS! Not necessarily Happy Joy life moments, but they certainly make me smile.

Yu Aoi’s contagious smile

Juri Ueno’s Onara Taisou.