By Jay B. Hilotin and Bassam Za'za'Dubai

Expatriates and residents are hoping for a better year and are crossing their fingers that they can keep their New Year resolutions.

Heydee Q. Hilario, marketing staff, said: "Another year's over. How fast time flies."

She said that the early part of 2002 was good for her, with a memorable and relaxing visit to the U.S.

"This year, I resolve to visit the gym more often and shape up a little bit. I work on short-term and long-term targets," she said.

She did meet some of them, while others she admits she has to work on some more. "I plan to take my parents to the U.S. this year. I also want to find and work on a lasting relationship."

Marwa Faysal Kreidie, Head of Media Department at Juma Al Majid Cultural and Heritage Centre, has resolved to finish her doctoral thesis this year on the History of Contemporary Thought.

"I hope to do well in this aspect of my life. I am married and also a mother of a child, therefore I need to manage my time well."

Kreidie, a member in a research team working on a project focusing on the history of science in the Arab world, also hopes to have another child this year to play with her eldest son, Wafiq.

"Have I kept my resolutions? Last year, I resolved to write part of my thesis. I managed to keep that. In my work, I've arranged for some cultural programmes and succeeded in achieving them," she said happily.

On a personal note, she said that her priority is her family.

"I try to manage time between my work, my research and my family. But thankfully, I have a supportive husband who is always there for me and encourages me to realise my dreams," she said.

Josefino "Joey" B. Tiberio, a senior travel sales executive, said it is a sin to be complacent with past successes in one's job.

"You can never be too comfortable. Overall, 2002 was a good year for me. Professionally, I saw some advancement and brighter future in my company because it invests in technology and people," he said.

He has also woven the travel business' dynamic culture into his life.

"This 2003, I'd like to learn more about technology, so I'd shock-proof myself from the fast pace of change. The impact of e-commerce in the travel industry is such that it can no longer be ignored," he said.

"You have to add value, do your homework, realise your full potential and introduce bright ideas," Tiberio said.

This year will prove that people who have excellent knowledge of e-commerce and know how to present their products, especially online, can win in the customer war.

Adel Ibrahim, 23, an employee of the Dubai Internet City, said, he was planning to get married this year. "This is my short-term goal. My medium-term target is to learn more things relevant to my job, and work harder to face personal challenges."

"I hope to maintain my good health. It is the most important thing in one's life to be able to perform my job well and care for my family. I can't control external factors, but I've always tried to keep my resolutions," said Dr Mohammed Omar Hefni, Director of Dubai University College. He also hoped he can invest time and energy to help the university improve academically to be able to better serve the business community here.

Jong Dioticio, a merchandiser and father of three, said: "The year 2002 was generally a happy year for me, both in terms of career improvement and at a personal level. My career advanced and I was given more responsibilities. I gained more insights into my work and felt that I have improved as a professional. This made me feel better prepared to face challenges coming my way."

He stressed that he wants to focus on his family in 2003, preparing for the future of his three kids.

"It's easy to make resolutions like kicking a bad habit but it's easier to break them. Old habits die hard. What happens is I tend to lessen my undesirable habits over time," he said.

"If you really resolve to do something, you'd be able to achieve more than what you have done in the past. It's the art of self mastery, like using your time wisely, to do the things that count," he said.

Abdul Latif Al Sayegh, Managing Director, Arabian Radio Network (ARN), said: "The year 2002 was a great milestone for us, probably the equivalent of five years' work."

ARN is a newcomer in the broadcast business, going on air for the first time in September 2001. Since then, it has established three FM radio stations.

"On a personal note, 2002 will be a feather in our cap. We became the real and unique sound of Dubai," said the 29-year-old communications graduate from University of Tampa, Florida.

"Our involvement in most of the activities here went beyond our own expectations. We felt that in a very short period of time, we achieved something solid."

In 2003, will see a strong start, with new projects to be announced soon.

"I resolve to better lead my team and usher our projects to success. I am hungry for more success," he said.

Lama Rafaai, a mother of two in Dubai, said she plans to build a new house in my hometown (in Homs, Syria). And I wish to find a good private school for my five-year-old daughter."

Sam Bayat, a 39-year-old Canadian immigration lawyer, said he plans to get married. And he wants an arranged marriage.

"The reason why most marriages in the West end up in divorce is because there are no arranged marriages," he says.

"When people marry out of love, decisions are clouded by passion. Not everything is assessed accordingly, especially the issue of compatibility," he explains.

He even cites an article from Psychology Today, which says that the best marriages are arranged ones.

Bayat says that keeping his past resolutions was the key to the success of his career. He recalled that in 1980s, he resolved to join the Montreal Marathon. He did, and covered 42.2 kilometres in three hours and 17 minutes.

"Two years ago, I wanted to write a second book, and I did (Canada's Immigrants, Heroes, and Countrymen, published by Touchbase, Halifax). This 2003, I plan to write a second edition to my first book (Canada: Immigration and Settlements), which was published in Dubai in 1999."

Gulf News 2003