... is a slightly random list but it will be interesting to have a record (or I am just a data junkie!).
- warmth of sunshine on my face
- snow falling silently
- catching up with
books/films/TV/articles under a massive duvet when unwell
- good ice cream/frozen yoghurt,
even if it is freezing outside
- cups and cups of green teas
- Japanese food, especially at
Sakana-Tei
- travelling; the excitement of
seeing the world for the first time ... sunrise at Mount Sinai, the
reflectiveness of Mount Fuji, the vastness of Great Ocean Road, a stunning
monastery in Portugal, early morning at Taj Mahal, the mist over Sans
Francisco, fallen leaves at NYC, the energy at Chicago, thick thick snow in a
little town in Russia, dim sum in China, European bridges, stars in Sahara
Desert, singing/chanting in beautiful empty Swedish
cathedrals, renaissance painting at Florence, the humidity at Vietnam
... this can be endless ...
- anticipation of a secret
cinema event
- random, full-of-tangents
conversation with friends and loved ones
- love in its various forms
- psychiatry; especially when
they are reunited with their loved ones/at peace/smile again
- discovering poems/beauty in
unlikely places
- wandering in galleries
aimlessly
- being so engrossed in a book/play/ballet/film
that it becomes the sole reality (albeit briefly)
- reading the weekend paper at a
cosy coffee shop in winter and on the green green grass in summer
- snorkelling and greeting Nemos
in crystal blue seas
- walking barefoot on a sandy
beaches/lush green grass
- the first bite of a fresh red
apple
- boat trips in the sun
- the smell of cookies baking in
the oven
- chatting away in a pub with
mulled wine/winter pimms
- receiving text messages on a
super busy day/when unwell
- having long text conversations
with my sister
- writing cards for no apparent
reason just because I want to
- finding forgotten love notes
- unexpected kindness from a
stranger
- watching films outdoors
- writing illegible postcards
while on holiday
- the smell of fresh flowers; in
the kitchen, windowsill, garden or countryside ...
- the dawn of finally
understanding something after much struggles: be it a solution, a concept, an
interpretation, even a mathematical formula ...
- meeting and talking to
interesting people at a party
- cello recitals at Wigmore Hall
- a favorite tune playing
unexpectedly on the radio
- the sense of relaxation after
a facial/massage/exercise
- doing something that makes
someone smile; be it stopping the bus while they are running for it, trying to
give them some directions by using my iPhone, calling/skyping a friend ...
- the smell of rain on freshly
cut grass
- looking at photos, especially
holiday snaps of other people with a running commentary on the side
- a sparkling clean flat after
spending hours cleaning it (I love cleaning - strange but true ...)
- sleeping-in without setting
the alarm, then with nothing planned for the rest of the day
- skinned milk porridge with
granola, berries and almonds
- noodles with all of its
glorious garnish; be it Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, soup,
fried, sauce ...
- a long bath after a hard day
at work
- the feeling of having survived
after a set of night shifts with no one dying/being hurt
- listening to love stories,
especially the difficult complex ones with happy endings
- being recommended an unknown
book/film which turns out I love
- opening the post box every
morning (before discovering the bills within)
- beautiful sunflowers at the
forensic psychiatric wards (these are grown and cared for by the patients)
- walking in central London late
at night when it is bathed in Christmas lights
- slightly chaotic Christmas
with family
- an article being finally accepted
for publication
- a good therapy session after a
hard week
- coming across little things
which are perfect for someone
- sitting by a river on a clear
summer night
- the smell of my mama's cooking
- emails from my papa
- kicking a pile of fallen leaves
(sorry, street sweepers!)
- looking at flickering candles
- Tapping the extra hot crumbles
from Le Pain Quotidien
- Making extra thin pancakes in
the morning
- falafels at Camberwell
especially after a hard consultation
- lobster at Big Easy with my
best mate SK
- browsing at Whole Food/farmers
markets
- reflecting in a church alone
- the hilarious
comments/laughters at The Ritzy
- holding a hot cup of coffee
when the morning is cold and way too early
January 2012
- Floating in the ocean with the
sun shining
- Collecting seashells
- Trying a new dish and it is
simply delicious
- Finding a new cool band
- Watching sunset on the beach
- Binging on sweet, cold
watermelons
- Blowing bubbles and watching
them float
- Learning new words and finally
being able to pronounce them
- Finding a still open
M&S after a very late flight
- Finally getting into bed after
a hard long day
- Clean sheets on bed
- My friend SAK's amazing baking
- The sense of overwhelming
relief after a tricky presentation
- Exploring the wonderful food
selection at Japan Centre
February 2012
- Munching on Leon's baked fries
- Stumbling onto some silly but
philosophical cartoons/photos/drawing on the world wide web
- Realising that my friend is
slowly but surely on the road to recovery
- Being given a ticket to a
brilliant exhibition by a complete kind stranger
- Finding the last portion of
Wakame Chuka seaweed salads from Japan centre
March 2012
- Waiting for departure as in a
few hours' time, you will be wandering in a magical, fairytale liked European
city
- revisiting old holiday haunts
and recalling some fond memories
- Retrieving my lost
iphone because of the goodness of a stranger
April 2012
- Twittering and blogging random
information of little interests to others, but myself
- Sending back-and-forth
catching up texts with my friends in NYC/DC/Sydney
- Opening my beautiful Fortnum
and Mason Easter Egg (and having the best sister ever!)
May 2012
- Booking a city break out of
the blue, just because it is raining in London and I want ice-cream
- Receiving my favourite
chocolate (Montezuma) unexpectedly
- Being Elmo (the title
explains it all)
- Discovering the creative power
of art in the midst of suffering ... a group painting of David Hockney by
patients at the end of life ...
- Stealing a Top Hat from an
awesome party
- Wearing my battered
Birkenstock to work
- Drinking fruity pimms under
the lights by Southbank
- Picnic-ing on goodies from the
Whole Food store under the beautiful sunshine
June 2012
- Wandering at the ancient
Pantheon
- Savouring Italian ice-cream
... (not the men ...)
- Holding a big bag of ice on my
face at Sperlonga during a pretty dramatic nosebleed ...
July 2012
- Meeting someone who makes you
laugh unexpectedly ...
- Finding a second handed
raincoat at the Oxfam shop when the sky broke at Latitude 2012
- Singing along to my favourite
indie bands
- Lying down in the sunshine on
a massive field with Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros playing
"Home"
- Discovering a beautiful
poetry/dance/play at Latitude 2012
- Having a poem written just for
you
- Having a hot shower after 5
days of antiseptic wipes existence ...
- Introducing the amazing Pimms
to an Italian (who kind of liked it!)
- Waiting for cello music to be
played at the British BBC Proms
- Drinking at a pub late at
night with friends from everywhere
August 2012
- Trying to finish the
never-ending courses of a Swedish tasting menu
- Learning the letter cubes at
Southbank changes throughout the year ...
- Finding fellow Miyazaki fans
- Discovering an apple at the
bottom of my bag after a 12 hours shift and I was starving
- Reading lovely messages from
my friends/family after my beloved phone was snatched
- Having Sachertorte (my
favourite cake in the world!)
- Realising that Hundertwasserhaus is as magical as I have always
imagined
-
Outdoor-swimming in a random canal in Vienna
- Bathing in
the golden wonders of "Der Kuss" by Gustav Klimt
- Catching a
cab in a torrent of rain
- Opening boxes
after boxes of wonders at Edible cinema while watching "Spirited Away"
- Knowing that my instinct is
kind of right afterall ...
- Enjoying the luxury of working
from home
- Staring at disbelief of my
feeble attempts at life drawing
- Heaping feathery snow in the company of Les Studio de
Cirque angels
September 2012
- Having meandering,
sometimes hilarious, text/what'sapp conversation
- Being engrossed in an
unusual grand round at Granta Magazine launch
- Swirling Framboise Lambic
beer at the Dovetail
- Jumping on the train, going
somewhere for no apparent reason but only you can, and finding a little country
pub along the way with the perfect summer Pimms in the sunshine ...
October 2012
- Discovering graffiti in
an unexpected corner (Haus Schwarzenberg)
- Immersing in the
poignant art of Kathe Kollwitz
- Receiving a text greeting of
"Happy Birthday" at exactly at midnight ...
- Being baked the Sachertorte
(the ultimate chocolate cake)
- Dragging my ever-so-patient friend
in the rain to find a dancing place
- Standing in the cold in a magician
outfit for the elusive 344
- Magic tricks by someone special at WaterPoet
- Magic tricks by someone special at WaterPoet
November 2012
- Looking at West Egg,
where Gatsby lived for his beloved Daisy
- Playing the piano at a
gallery at the Chelsea Market NYC and encountering ELMO cupcakes!
- Reading beautiful poetry at the massive Strand
bookshop
- Twinkling glass sculptures
by Jean-Michel Othoniel
- Co-freeing a car from frozen sand at Rockaway Beach
- Laughing all the way on a train journey from Colchester to London
- Helping two very sweet children with their piano exams
- Admiring the rain in the rain room at the Barbician
- Admiring the rain in the rain room at the Barbician
