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ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

We are in a brand New Year. And despite the fact that the past clings, it is time to look ahead, with our dreams intact, and hopes high. For, despite all the shrapnel and bullets that made 2003 reverberate all year round, not to speak of ...

Nature's thunderous last roar in Bam that marked a tragic end for a whole lot among us, 2003 was also a year to learn from, and take note of. City Times wishes its readers a very happy New Year

Well, here we are in 2004. Time, once again, to set new goals, make fresh resolutions - even if they are (paradoxically) of the jaded sort - made again every year only to be left for the next one. And why not? Like public transport, there's always another one on the way.

What about the year gone by? Some of you must be still sleeping it off, after the night's revelry to mark the coming of this one. Some of you must be wide awake wondering what the new one holds. Yet others among you would be taking it in your stride, not the sort to be fazed by any march, least of all that of time.

2003 went past too fast, too full of events, crammed with incidents of regional and international import, one after the other. Even before Afghanistan vacated the front pages of newspapers and hogged screen time and space worldwide, Iraq happened and 'embedded' became a much discussed word, along with Saddam.

The war in Iraq was also the coming of age of the Arab media, especially the electronic. Arab television channels made a mark and continued to do so right up to the close of 2003. There's no stopping this march, too, it seems.

That was triumph amidst the tragic...

The message is to take courage from the triumph. And learn from the tragic.

The New Year is also a time to hope, to resolve and make an attempt to live, and to let others live, though the last has been a resolve never kept to the full. The conflicts and differences worldwide keep us all engaged. But how many of us wonder about the toll those conflicts and differences take on those others who never figure in the calculations. Then the resolution to let others live takes a beating.

On another plane, resolutions, especially those made for a New Year, are always more personal and less public. Each one of us make a few every new year, individual resolutions. Some of us decide to dump the cigarette, though the cancer stick always manages to stick to the lips no matter how much the resolve, and doctor's advice. There are others who resolve to lose weight and forget it at dinner time on January 1. Yet others resolve to sleep early and wake up early, only to reach office five minutes late.

The wise one never makes a resolution. He or she plans. And hopes and tries to stick to those plans. City Times spoke to a cross-section to get an idea of their plans for 2004.

For Zeina Mouhawej, marketing manager, Masafi, it's marriage in 2004 that's uppermost in mind.

'I am planning to tie the knot in the new year and am hopeful this life change will be for the best. I am not planning too far ahead, as I have learnt from experience that when you plan too much, things just go the opposite way.'

2003 was not 'very memorable' for her but she has resolved 'not to let that hamper' her outlook on life.

'I am determined to make the most of whatever life sends my way and be happy at all cost. I dabble in a bit of numerology and have realised that the numbers 2 and 4 have been lucky for me. 3 has been particularly bad. As 2004 dawns, I have my fingers crossed and hope for happiness for me and those around.'

City Times wishes her the best for 2004 and hopes she gets her dream match, which, incidentally, Julie Green, managing director, Sandwich Express, seems to have already found. Now she's looking forward to 'pushing the boundaries of the business' and 'expand our presence' considerably in the new year, as also to add to the family on the personal front.

'My business, Sandwich Express has grown a lot over the last couple of years, and 2004 is going to be a turning point in many ways. On the personal front, I have just got married and moved house and am now looking to settle down and maybe have kids in the new year.'

Syed Iqbal, assistant director India Tourism Dubai, seems to be wholly a company man as his resolution proves. 'Last year we began trying to promote India tourism in a big way and despite the odds, our efforts paid dividends and we received very positive results. We launched the 'Incredible India' logo, which was picked up as a common code by Indian missions and tourism offices all over the world. In the Middle East, we decided to add to that and adopted a specific approach to the Arab traveller.

'In the coming year, we plan to concentrate on roadshows joining hands with airlines and travel trade nd are optimistic that India will get more tourists. It is also the wish of everybody that relations between India and Pakistan will improve for which the signs seem pretty good. Our main aim is to attract more people and make the India product more visible.'

All luck to him, and to his colleagues for whom he speaks.

'My new year resolutions never worked in the past so I am pursuing realistic ones this time round,' says Dr Max Mazen Sawaf, Cosmesurge Medical Centre, Jumeirah. 'I look forward to making incremental changes as a year ago I never exercised but now I am playing soccer with my kids on Fridays and am hoping to exercise twice a week. In the new year I want to stop chasing money and devote more time to my five growing children. I am a Damascus-born American doctor and am impressed by the percentage of people wanting to quit smoking and to reduce weight in the States. I hope we achieve the same here. I look forward to educate people on health issues.'

For Thomas Tapken, general manager Mšvenpick Hotel, Bur Dubai, it is his hotel first and he second. He says it is important to the hotel to 'drive to a stage where we have plans to be'.

'For the first four months since we acquired the hotel, we were getting used to Dubai. Now we are big enough to walk and all systems are in place. So it is getting serious. We have to represent Mšvenpick as it really is in all aspects. So the objectives have been set for all staff members and I guess we have no choice but to fulfill these.'

'Where family life is concerned, then you know what my wife will say about spending time with her. But I hope to be able to achieve my business resolutions and my family goes with me in whatever I do. I would also like to see the UAE as it really is. So far I have only seen my home, the hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road and a few other places. This year I hope to see more,' Tapken smiles.

Being in the restaurant business Sayeed Hussain, CEO, Cyclone The Club, Dubai, says he is vulnerable to eating a lot. 'So, I have joined a gym and am regularly exercising now. In the new year weight control is my priority as is the growth of my business. My concept restaurant Khazana, under the franchise of celebrity Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor, will soon have a branch in Media City or Jumeirah. We are also taking the fine art of Indian cooking to Doha and London and planning an outlet in Denmark. I know thinking 10 steps ahead makes you grow. Therefore we are now into electronic reservation system which records the customer's menu, bill and even the table he occupies for future reference. It's wise to move with the times.'

Neil D'Sylva,Corporate Communications, Sony Gulf FZE, says, 'I've got a couple of resolutions to implement for this year. One is carried over from last year; the one that didn't even make it across 15th January 2003 and couple of them are new ones. But come 2004 I really want to get back into shape and start my football again. (The one that didn't get far in 2003).

'The resolution, one that I don't want to break, come what may, is planning and preparing for my marriage next year. (2005). I also want to increase my collection of music on DVD.'

And H.Padmanabhan, Marketing Manager, Eros Electricals, adds, 'In 2004, I want to be able to settle down in Dubai and achieve the comfort level of naturalisation. I want to spend more time for the house and the family. And if I get lucky, to have a laaaaarge bank balance.'

That's the spirit. And we know there are lots of the spirited sort around, those for whom every New Year is a time to take on challenges and set targets, to fulfill them, not let them fall by the wayside. The challenge is to post milestones, not litter the year with debris from failed attempts. The message, to reiterate, is to learn from the tragic, and take courage from triumph.