GOOD THINGS | A list

Grabbing fistfuls of soil to repot growing plants. Stickers. Libraries. The smell of onions sizzling in hot oil. Magnetic poetry. Mutual aid. Dinosaurs magazines from the 90s. Just about any shade of green. The pleasure of receiving a nod after giving a specific order at the mamak table. Looking out the window on a sleeper train. Seeing reflections of light in the eyes of someone you care about. Being the favourite person of your favourite person. The crackle of a candle wick. Colouring books. Hammocks. Isochronic tones and noise-cancelling headphones. The uncurling of a new leaf. Loaded picnic baskets. Gifs. Intergenerational friendships. Labour unions. The patience of a wildlife photographer. Paying for the person behind you. Rina Sawayama’s laugh in her song STFU. Milky stovetop chai. A hot homecooked meal. Moisturised skin. Long walks with a friend. The Milo truck of my childhood sports days. Falling asleep to light rain. The inherent eroticism of the sea. Dark chocolate. Gender euphoria. Sign language. Understanding more than one language. A password manager. Keys on the table. Animal friendships across species. A good pair of sunglasses. The feeling of my forehead on the prayer mat in the silence of night. Subtitles. Birdsong. Love letters. Second order thinking. Wiping the leaves of my houseplants with a damp cloth. Tiffin carriers. The moon. That Tiger Balm tingle. Sitting in a river so clear you can see little fish. Blowing bubbles. Secretly ordering some food for the delivery person too. Jigsaw puzzles. Contagious laughter. An old couple still very much in love, holding hands. Karaoke. Clean sun-dried towels. Iced tea. Meditation. Elephants. A 13 year-old cat who learned to speak and her favourite word is ‘mad.’ A cat blinking slowly at you. A deep long hug of at least six seconds. Gardens. The Garden.