Happiness is… (Q1)

by Evans Yonson

Cagayan de Oro – The first quarter of 2013 is about to end. Here’s a review of my ‘Happiness is’ thoughts in the last three months, arranged according dates.

January

Happiness is being back in the university without the noise.

Happiness is a meaningful embrace of a very dear one.

Happiness is a walk in the sand.

Happiness is waiting for an appointment who is more than an hour late…

Happiness is knowing that 2013 is going to be hectic.

Happiness is watching TV on a lazy Wednesday morning and project ideas just keep on flowing endlessly.

Happiness is…

Happiness is knowing that after the storm is a new beginning.

Happiness is letting all your heartaches out.

Happiness is speaking your mind, at any cost.

Happiness is a tear.

Happiness is a tear and a sob.

Happiness is your touch upon my shoulder.

Happiness is changing the future now.

One of Cebu’s best tourist guides giving me a thumbs up after a great lunch.

February

Happiness is a weekend immersion with the Talaandig tribe of Bukidnon.

Happiness is guiding 75 souls.

Happiness is three assistants with different personalities in one weekend getaway.

Happiness is a furtive glance and a playful smile.

Happiness is ordering lechon and not eating a single bite.

Happiness is four hour bus ride with my students.

Happiness is watching more than a hundred young Talaandigs dance for two nights and still energetic when you see them in the morning.

Happiness is learning more tribal dance steps.

Happiness is giving and expecting nothing in return.

Happiness is a long kiss goodnight.

Happiness is a weekend with nephews and nieces.

Happiness is a smile.

Happiness is a new haircut.

Happiness is falling in love on Valentine’s week.

Happiness is a giggle.

Happiness is a laughter under a moonlit sky.

Happiness is yellow.

Happiness is a gentle touch.

Happiness is hearing my students sing their hearts out during the concert rehearsals.

Happiness is a pizza slice.

Happiness is a stick of your Marlboro gold.

Happiness is a laughter shared with your new friends.

Happiness is a meeting of LGBT leaders in Cagayan de Oro.

Happiness is a serious talk over lunch.

Happiness is receiving recognition for well-advised student theses with your advisees standing proud of their achievements.

Happiness is a flashmob rehearsal of more than a hundred dancers.

Happiness is DevCom Week 2013.

Happiness is a smile and a simple, ‘hello!”

Happiness is another ordinary lazy Saturday afternoon.

Happiness is sleeping the whole weekend.

Happiness is knowing that my good friend is now safe in the Creator’s refuge.

Happiness is moving on.

Happiness is hearing the Vote or Die Trying‘s original songs with my students.

Happiness is Kurt and Blaine together again.

Happiness is a dinner date with Boom.

Happiness is coming to school on time and finding no one in class.

Happiness is a drive away from the city today.

Happiness is a three-hour interview with very promising future students.

Happiness is hosting more than a dozen of drunk students after the DC night.

Happiness is knowing that Iam LA and Splakoy Neil Aton are going places with their kids, Neo and Nadia.

Happiness is teaching little children the value of travel and education.

Happiness is several short calls between here and the East.

Happiness is a great video edited by Chow chow  for the DC night and with me on it most of the time.

Happiness is a successful flashmob.

Happiness is a great DC night party with the my DevCom family.

Happiness is a rub.

Happiness is hearing the first adhan of the day before closing my eyes.

Happiness is hearing your voice on the phone.

Happiness is hearing you sing.

Happiness is waking up to a beautiful sunrise.

Happiness is the sun waking you up on a lazy Saturday morning.

Happiness is a cup of coffee to wake you up.

Happiness is a warm shower to wake you up.

Happiness is waking up to Madonna’s Frozen.

Happiness is having lots of friends who will stick with you through thick and thin.

Happiness is trusting a friend and in return trusts you, too.

Happiness is never a lie.

Happiness is being honest.

Happiness is a real trip to a real place with real friends.

Happiness is a cruise in the Baltics with Manding Chona; a street food bite in Amsterdam with Ben and Aaron; a bus ride in Porto with Beatrix and Kay; the Eiffel Tower tour with Mod; a lunch in Times Square with Jing, Geebam and Chin; and many more…

March

Happiness is a lunch with Jjoy and Rio.

Happiness is a slow ride to Bukidnon.

Happiness is a pinky swear.

Happiness is a kinilaw dinner.

Happiness is a Tanduay Cocktails-Margarita drink.

Happiness is Mac’s chicken.

Happiness is a bucket of San Mig Light with Alexis and Boom.

Happiness is your smile.

Happiness is a trip to Michigan with you.

Happiness is a dip in the water.

Happiness is a leap of faith.

Happiness is a jump of remembrance.

Happiness is a sign of moving on.

Happiness is a satisfaction generated by a life-changing decision.

Happiness is waking up to a heartwarming host-family.

Happiness is a moment of silence with you in the wilderness of our dreams.

Happiness is sharing a stick with you.

Happiness is the touch of our hands with no apparent reason at all.

Happiness is your pouting lips and playful winks.

Happiness is an afternoon heart-to-heart talk.

Happiness is a new tattoo.

Happiness is an afternoon of buko meat and juice.

Happiness is meeting Angela and Aubrey.

Happiness is walk on a hanging bridge.

Happiness is a shoot for my first serious short film.

Happiness is an early vacation with students.

Happiness is a puff.

Happiness is hearing your voice before sleeping.

Happiness is a silent but worthwhile journey.

Happiness is simply being with you.

Happiness is seeing students graduate on Friday.

Happiness is having a silent and meaningful dinner in a crowded resto.

Happiness is a walk with your elbow touching mine.

Happiness is a brandy shot.

Happiness is a date on top of the world.

Happiness is getting high on a Tuesday night.

Happiness is a gentle kiss.

Happiness is seeing your name on my ringing phone.

Happiness is listening endlessly to strange people.

Happiness is walking under the hottest sun.

Happiness is feeling sick knowing that you won’t be here now.

Happiness is the simplest ‘Thank you!” I heard in my entire life that really meant a lot.

Happiness is seeing you smile again.

Happiness is being there for you.

Happiness is a photograph of our special place in the sun.

Happiness is remembering our pinky swear in the vastness of that field of dreams.

Happiness is a tight hug.

Happiness is a sip of your iced tea.

Happiness is seeing your toes for the first time.

Happiness is the special number series we share together.

Happiness is a restricted code between you and me.

Happiness is knowing that you’ll always be there for me.

Happiness is no matter what.

Happiness is spending quality time with you alone.

Happiness is waking up knowing that we’re going to be fine.

Happiness is a breakfast with pandesal and Del Monte fruit cocktail.

Happiness is listening to Les Miserables soundtrack for you.

Happiness is a Chinese dinner with you.

Happiness is giving you all the right reasons to smile.

Happiness is a 9-letter word that we always stop on the eighth letter.

Happiness is seeing you on that stage with your graduation garb.

Happiness is having lunch with the family after another milestone.

Happiness is reading your endless private messages.

Happiness is Vya’s Holy Week foodies.

Happiness is hosting friends for a night of drinks.

Happiness is being sober. For myself and for someone special.

Happiness is an early sibling call. I love my brother so much.

Happiness is a quiet Maunday Thursday until my sister played house music.

Happiness is a heart-to-heart talk.

Happiness is a trip to the farm.

Happiness is receiving a Korean DVD from Wowie and pencils from Bangladesh from Belen.

Happiness is knowing that everything will be alright.

Happiness is us.

Happiness is…