Today is International Happiness Day.

Such serendipity when I started my day with a tweet quoting Arashi’s happiness guru, Aiba Masaki:

“Smile because good things may happen.”

Or at least he said something along those lines.

When I tweeted it, I didn’t know then today’s significance though it does bother me that the world needs to observe a happiness day — perhaps to remind us to be happy? It can’t be the only day in the entire year that we ought to be happy, right?

There’s also this #100happydays project across social networks and I did sign up for it but fell off the happiness radar on the sixth day. I didn’t even last a week. I’m not saying I was or am miserable but I found it troublesome to be measuring every single moment on whether it was a happy moment worthy to be posted on Instagram and deserve the hashtag #100happydays. Besides, sometimes happiness cannot be measured in absolute terms. Example, how do you capture laughter from a spontaneous joke? Do I scramble to get my gadget and take the happy faces of my friends? Do I find the time to record the sound of the belly laughs? I didn’t want to be too preoccupied measuring happiness and forget to revel in the moment.

But since today is International Happiness Day, then let me just attempt to count 100 ways of happiness, from the mundane to the shallow to the deep, and not necessarily in the following order, based on my current state of mind.

 

 

Happiness is…

1. an SMS from my mother.

2. a mail from my younger sister.

3. funny friends who make me LOL whether in the middle of the night or in the thick of work.

4. Arashi, my ever reliable happy pills.

5. iced red tea in the morning from my regular shop.

6. clear, blue skies that make the walk to work pleasant.

7. chocolates, especially my current fave Merci petits.

8. rain when it seldom does where I live.

9. pandas.

10. a good night sleep.

11. going on a trip!

12. news that Arashi is [finally] releasing ARAFES ’13 and LOVE concert DVDs.

13. Souta NOT ending up with Saeko in SHITSUREN CHOCOLATIER.

14. airports and the vibe they give whether upon arriving or leaving.

15. fluffy, feel-good dramas.

16. well-written fan fictions on my OTPs.

17. my OTPs ending up happily ever after together.

18. the yellow No. 48 airconditioned bus especially when I’ve been sitting in the bus stop for like forever.

19. PRs toting Krispy Kreme boxes to the office.

20. writing.

21. JOY, the scented candle from Karmakamet.

22. being able to complete a sentence in Nihongo.

23. CNBlue.

24. waking up in the morning to find out I still have an extra hour of sleep.

25. surprise gifts.

26. being able to make someone else happy.

27. belly laughter.

28. weekends!!!

29. watching Arashi or CNBlue in a live concert.

30. airline mileage.

31. a window seat in an airplane.

32. hearing from a long-lost friend.

33. Tokyo.

34. an EMS from Japan.

35. flawless WiFi or Internet connection.

36. watching Nino snark.

37. going home after work.

38. a favorite song randomly playing on my iPod.

39. the AC in the middle of summer.

40. a clear work mail Inbox.

41. chancing upon a movie on cable that I have been meaning to watch.

42. coffee ice cream.

43. coffee chocolate.

44. mango ice cream.

45. creme brulee.

46. a nice view from my hotel room.

47. seeing an old crush.

48. the last piece of my favorite ice lolly in the konbini.

49. good news in the mail.

50. rewatching favorite dramas.

51. fresh bed sheets.

52. finding a unique ring.

53. homecooked food.

54. random acts of kindness.

55. a copy of Le Petit Prince in another language.

56. finding out at the counter that the item I am buying is actually on sale.

57. seamless live streaming of Arashi shows.

58. good health.

59. gratitude.

60. two-hour Thai massage at my regular shop.

61. an empty seat in a crowded train.

62. finding money after you wash your clothes.

63. re-reading a favorite manga.

64. a much lower electricity bill than you expected in the summer.

65. making new friends.

66. help when you least expect it.

67. subtitles.

68. a postcard.

69. free tickets to a concert.

70. BUYING tickets to an Arashi concert.

71. a good conversation.

72. being able to laugh at my past foibles.

73. the smell of a newly cleaned flat.

74. losing unwanted pounds.

75. spending time with family.

76. free food.

77. good food.

78. no traffic when you’re late for your appointment.

79. wearing pajamas the whole day.

80. holding hands in the crowd.

81. meeting someone you have long admired.

82. discovering a good restaurant that you can go back to.

83. a vacation!!!

84. catching up with childhood friends.

85. sleeping in on weekends.

86. satisfying a craving for junk food.

87. picture books.

88. home.

89. Canon in D major.

90. watching old Arashi shows.

91. giving someone a break.

92. sweet, ripe mangoes.

93. cute, free stickers from LINE.

94. drama recaps.

95. HIDAMARI NO KANOJO being shown in my city.

96. CNBlue’s NEVER STOP movie being shown in my city.

97. reading a book by the beach.

98. not free, it can be bought. Just ask any fangirl.

99. being able to finish this post.

100. is this:

 

 

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