Hoping for the best in 2012
The year is over and we look forward to 2012. Gulf News readers have shared their New Year’s resolutions with us — whether it is to finish their PhD or get a high score on the iPhone game Angry Birds. 2011 saw many natural disasters, protests and the Arab Spring. No one knows what the year 2012 will bring but our readers’ predictions seem hopeful.
Finish up my work
My resolutions for the New Year include not only travelling to my home country Sri Lanka but to parts of Europe and South America, hiking, skydiving and scuba diving. I hope to have most of my PhD dissertation ready by the end of the coming year. Also, I intend to resume reading the novels I’ve had lined up for a while. Honestly, I can only hope the coming year brings an improvement to the global financial crisis.
From Ms Fatima Saleem
Dubai
Touring the UAE
My New Year’s resolution is to volunteer in charitable programmes and take part in such events. I am expecting 2012 to provide me with a UAE driving licence. I am going to apply for it and I hope I’ll pass so that I could take my family and parents on a tour of the UAE — it is very different from Nepal. I think the economies in Asia and the US will become more powerful in 2012.
From Mr Arjun Dahal
Dubai
Helping my country
I hope to become more organised in my life and to be more disciplined. I am going to university in 2012. I hope to learn more about the world and about myself through studying politics and law next year. I believe that my success in university will help better our country, the UAE. I am actually hoping that at some point I can help set down legislations and laws to tackle our social issues.
From Mr Mohammad Tahboub
Dubai
Giving back
I want security for my family, my wife and children. I don’t want to live in rental houses forever. Seeing how my country, the UAE, has been reaching out to less fortunate nations, I would love to be a part of that. I support what our leaders are doing and I am proud to be a UAE national.
From Mr Adel Yousuf Al Attar
Dubai
2012 is about me
For 2012 I would like to take better care of myself — health wise and happiness wise. It will help me achieve more and be a better person for the people I care about here and in my home country, the Netherlands. I need to take back control of my life and not be managed by work and responsibilities. I also need to stop running around and pleasing everyone and take time to enjoy the small things in life.
From Ms Ellen Kruijning
Dubai
Safe
First of all I would like to improve myself and get a higher position in the food safety industry. Secondly, I hope all my family members live a great life and my country, the UAE, to stay safe and stable in the year 2012.
From Mr Farouq Al Kamali
Sharjah
Finding the balance
I am a new father and I am hoping that during the course of the next year I would become a really good dad. I didn’t get to spend enough time with my child and I’d like to find a balance between my work and family — my job keeps me away from my family a lot of the times. I am hoping that 2012 would be a hopeful year and less eventful for myself and prosperous for my country, the UAE.
From Mr Saleh Hamed
Abu Dhabi
Peaceful existence
I hope there is no recession coming up and no more wars to happen — I am hoping a miracle occurs and politicians wake up and realise that nobody has to die and that everyone has to receive an education. I hope 2012 achieves what my country, the UAE, has. It is a dream of mine and maybe it will happen. I also hope that people don’t fight and die over religion.
From Ms Asma Abdul Rahman Ali
Dubai
No resolution
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. When I want to make a change for the better I just do it. For example, I am currently improving my communication skills with clients. What does 2012 hold for us? If Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Italy do not solve their problems then it will affect the euro and thus have a ripple affect on all of us, including my country, Canada.
From Mr Timothy Reducha
Dubai
Improve myself
I am looking forward to starting a brand clothing business. On the other hand, as a government employee I wish to develop my overall skills and capabilities to provide excellent, quality and world class services. I would like to say to my family and my beloved country, the UAE, that whatever we have done, we should learn a lesson from it and improve ourselves.
From Mr Qasim Mohammad
Dubai
Travel the world
I am always on a tight schedule and never have time for myself — I picked up this habit ever since I was in my hometown, South Africa. So, this year I am making it my mission to travel around the world. It is definitely not the time for the world to end yet, as many people believe. There are too many things to do, many changes to come and I plan to stick around and be a part of it.
From Mr Harold van Rooyen
Dubai
Passing knowledge
One tends to lose sight of their hopes and dreams as they grow older, but for me if all goes well, God willing, I’d like to pursue higher studies and specialise in teaching English — I graduated with a degree in English literature. As for my country, Jordan, and family, I wish them happiness, and I pray that they see their dreams fulfilled.
From Ms Mai Wasfi Hassan
Al Ain
Getting better
My top priority is to stop mooching off my parents. My New Year’s resolution is to be more patient on the road and to stave off the desire to yell out a slew of insults at every rogue miscreant cutting in front of me on Shaikh Zayed Road. I also need to spend less time devoted to slashing a best of 1,000 points on my iPhone game Fruit Ninja and instead spend more time aiming on Angry Birds and learning how to cook edible food — perhaps recipes from my hometown in India.
From Ms Malavika Subramanian
Dubai
Going home
I don’t have aspirations of my own, I’d like to see my daughter graduate this spring and I wish my family financial prosperity. But if I wished for anything this year it would be to go home to Egypt. I pray to see our revolution succeed and the people’s demands met, I dream of the day the previous regime is put on a fair trial, and our victims and wounded avenged.
From Ms Sabrin Mangoud
Sharjah
Growing up
I hope to grow as a person spiritually in 2012. My aunt passed away from cancer recently. She showed my entire family how to be faithful and courageous even when death was around the corner for her. I also hope that next year my beautiful country Palestine will finally have its voice heard.
From Ms Sausan Badwan
Dubai
Cure for all
In the year 2012 I am going to buy my first car. I hope to also stay in the job I love. I also hope we get closer to finding a cure for every cancer so that we can keep our loved ones around us. I would like to say that the markets around the world will pick up but I doubt it. I fear more people will be unemployed in my country, the UK, in 2012.
From Ms Hiba Al Rubaie
Dubai
A new world
Every year I make a list of my New Year’s resolutions… who knows, maybe this year I’ll get them done! I am travelling to London at the beginning of the year and staying for six months to do a culinary course. So, I need to learn how to live on my own and do the things I take for granted such as cleaning, washing my clothes and ironing. I am Pakistani and would like to meet new friends from different cultures.
From Ms Naheed Ahmad
Dubai
A new chapter
I am hoping that this year brings joy and peace to all — Emiratis like me and expatriates alike. On a personal note, I am getting married this year and I am praying that it all goes smoothly and that God gifts me with children so that I may raise them to the best of my ability.
From Ms Noura Saeed Al Habsi
Al Ain
Healing the world
I am hoping to find a job in finance in 2012. But my ultimate dream is to establish my own business here in my country — I wish to open up a veterinarian clinic in Al Ain. The way I see it is this clinic has to have the staff and expertise to heal all types of animals. As for my family and beloved country, I wish them peace and prosperity.
From Ms Alia Al Dharei
Al Ain
Writing success
I am finishing my PhD in English literature with the hopes of writing novels worthy of winning the Shaikh Khalifa Literary Award, and perhaps a Nobel Prize at some point down the line. I wish my country, the UAE, all the best.
From Ms Amnah Al Neyadi
Abu Dhabi
Editor’s note: If you would like to share your New Year’s resolutions with us or predict what the year 2012 will bring, email us at readers@gulfnews.com
