Heartbreaker
Last year, one mistake that I really regret is breaking someone's heart.
The young man in question tried his best to please me in every way. However, it just didn't feel right.
You either like someone or you don't. When I told him that nothing would be possible between the two of us, he took it really well considering. We are both grown-ups and mature enough to understand when things are not right.
Sheryl Gulapa Abu Dhabi
Dubai delay
I moved to the UAE in June 2008. However, I believe my mistake is that I did not come here earlier.
There are so many opportunities in this country, as compared to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where I lived for three years. I heard about the UAE from many friends, but refused to believe them.
Eventually, I decided to come here on a visit visa and discovered the prospect of a successful life. I quickly went back to Saudi Arabia to cancel my residence visa and moved to the UAE. My life here is very simple, and I am completely satisfied.
Jonard Tabing Abu Dhabi
Over-spending
My biggest mistake was getting a credit card. I decided to get one in October 2008, and since then I have been unable to pay off the balance.
The card has a specific limit on it and somehow that limit is crossed every month. It is like an ongoing loop.
I am sure that I would be happier if I did not have a card, which is why I have decided to get rid of this one. I would never repeat this mistake again!
Sandra Kefayah Abu Dhabi
Too trusting
I have a personal law firm and before taking a legal case we usually ask for a deposit. However, this year, I had to take a case based on somebody's recommendation.
Since I knew the person, I decided to provide the legal opinion without any advance payment. We advised the course of action and everything was done on time.
However, the economic situation got worse and the client said he could not pay. I think this was my biggest mistake, since the client has still not settled his bills.
Kavitha Panicker Dubai
No work/life balance
What I regret most is not being able to relax throughout the year. I feel like I am working too hard and am unable to unwind.
I have an 8am to 6pm job, which makes it extremely hard to manage a social life.
I have been working for the past three years and have not visited my home country.
I have been celebrating Christmas without my family for four years in a row; I have to celebrate it with friends and cannot even see my family.
What good is working so hard when one is unable to be with his or her family during the festive season?
Melanie Poblete Dubai
Befriended back-stabber
This year my biggest mistake was befriending someone who I should not have even spoken to.
If I could reverse this year, I would go back to the day I met her and erase it from my memory. I dislike two-faced people, who pretend to be someone they are not.
The person who I am referring to pretends to be my best friend in front of the world, when actually she is nothing close to that.
All the things she claims to do are false and her pretence is getting old!
Ashlesha Rao Dubai
Poor research
Universities in the UAE do not take students if they have not completed his or her A-Levels.
After high school, I applied to one of the major universities and my application was rejected, since I had not completed A levels.
At this point, it was too late to go back and do the course, and I was left with no choice but to let go of my dream of becoming an interior designer.
I started a diploma, which would later allow me to pursue a business degree. Letting go of my dream was the hardest decision, and I regret not being aware of the intricacies in advance.
Warda Faiiaz Sharjah
So near, so far
A 50-year-old South African with a dream to visit New York — that is how I would describe myself.
I went to the US for the first time almost 20 years ago and have been there several times since then. However, I never got a chance to visit New York.
This year, I was in Chicago and had the opportunity to fly to New York, but decided not to since I was really tired.
I regret this decision a lot and wish that I had stayed an extra day to visit my dream city. I hope I make it to NYC this year.
Neil Venter Abu Dhabi
No gold rush
I said no to a humble request by my husband. He wanted to buy me jewellery, but I was not in the mood to look for gold that day.
I had other things on my mind so I just said ‘no'. However, after that day the ‘yes' never came out of my husband's mouth regardless of a hundred requests from my side.
At times it shows how upset you are when you refuse the things that you like!
Smita Sinoy Dubai
Neglected spouse
The thing I most regret is not spending enough time with my wife.
As a manager, work is very demanding because if anything happens then I have to go and fix the problem wherever, whenever.
I remember planning a day out with my wife to dinner and movies. All of a sudden a colleague called and told me I had to come into work to fix an issue, and I had to cancel on her.
I know that she understands, but I could feel her disappointment.
This year I will focus more on her because I love her and do not want to repeat the same mistakes.
Ali Arjomandi Sharjah
Colleague calamity
I thought that keeping good relationships with your colleagues would guarantee me a great job.
When I got this idea and formed relations with my colleagues, I thought everything was going to be fine and that nothing could go wrong.
A week later I was terminated. After getting to know one of my colleagues, I started trusting him and depending on him for a project.
However, he did not deliver, and I was blamed for it. I realised that the best guarantee to secure your job is the contribution and confidence you have in your own work.
Nassef N. Naguib Abu Dhabi
Dodgy lodger
A friend from Tajikistan gave my number to a man he knew, who was coming to Dubai.
Apparently, I was supposed to take care of him, as he did not have any money or a job.
If only I knew what a nightmare he was going to be during the month he stayed, I would not have allowed it.
He cheated me out of my money and took advantage in using my apartment. Once he even took my passport to rent a car so that he would not have to pay for it, but I caught him.
My biggest mistake is going to the airport to pick him up.
Shavakat Mamajonov Dubai
Ooh la-la!
There was a flight cancellation to Dubai, so my mother and I had to stop in Qatar. We were in the waiting lounge when a Qatari man walked by.
I quickly looked at my mother and told her in French that he was really cute. However, I was not aware of the fact that he understood French. When it was time to board, he gave me way and told me “ladies first'' in French.
To teach me a lesson on keeping things to myself, my mother dragged me with her and she started chatting with him for two hours just to embarrass me.
Amanda Al Shakankiri Sharjah
Stock-broke
The biggest mistake that I have made in 2008 is not selling my market shares, stocks and bonds in February, when the market was at its peak.
I kept hoping that it would go up but suddenly the prices started declining week after week. After the decline, it suddenly crashed, and I ended up suffering huge financial losses.
This is the kind of mistake you do not just ignore. It is pretty big and until the prices go up, I will keep thinking about this mistake.
I am still holding on to my shares and hoping that the market will pick up again in the near future.
Subhasis Mukherjee Dubai
Know thy enemy
My worst mistake in 2008 was to trust the wrong person at work, which eventually cost me my job.
Despite my friends telling me to be careful when dealing with colleagues, I never had an issue with trust.
When I was working in Hong Kong, my sales director always asked me questions and wanted to get information about my clients.
I trusted her and told her everything. She slowly took over the customers and told them that she would personally keep in touch.
When the time came for the company to downsize, she decided that I was not needed, as she already had all the information from me.
Peeku Punjabi Dubai
Animals needed support
There were several centres for abandoned animals, which have now closed due to lack of support.
I believe that we as a community should have done a lot better and joined hands to help the helpless.
A distinct example in this case is Sammy the whale shark being held captive at the Atlantis hotel.
Even though I put a ‘Free Sammy the Shark' sticker on my car, I felt like I was ignoring the issue.
Nothing much has been done about it, when so much was possible.
Mohammad Yaqoob Dubai
Lost bride
My worst mistake this year was losing the girl I love. I lived in Dubai while she was in Jordan.
There was always a problem because we could not spend a lot of time together due to my demanding job.
However, the line was drawn when I was forced to cancel our wedding in August.
It was a stupid decision that I made but at that time my job was stressing me out, and I felt I couldn't get out of it. If I could turn back the clock, I would go back to Jordan and marry her.
Ala'a Al Ghazo Dubai
Shopping madness
My biggest mistake in 2008 would be my weakness — I am a shopaholic. If I have a credit card then the best place you would find me would be the mall.
I even spoiled myself with a trip to Cambodia. This long shopping spree put me on a little debt, and who knew that a global crisis was only a few months away.
I am scared to check if the interest rates on my debts went up.
Thankfully, it is only shopping debts and not something life altering. My new year's resolution is to pay it off and move on.
Katherine Nash Dubai
