Arabeyes: Have a Spectacular New Year! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

New Year's is the time to reflect on the past and make new resolutions for the future. What are bloggers from the Arab world saying as the world bids 2007 farewell and welcomes 2008?
Egypt:
The Big Pharaoh reflects on the year that's gone, offering us insight into the stalemate in Lebanon, the violence in Iraq and the US presidential elections. On the latter, he writes:
The prospect of a women president in the White House excites me but I personally don’t think Clinton is fit for the job. On November 4th, I would like to see John McCain elected. He is the only one with the experience to fill this position. I know McCain doesn’t excite the hardcore Republicans that much, but currently the polls show that he’s the only one capable of defeating Hillary.
As for Egypt, the Big Pharaoh says:
2007 didn’t have much for my country. However, I believe the most significant thing that happened are all these protests by the laborers and government employees. I think we’ll see more of these especially if the government decided to mess up with the subsidies.
Iraq:
Iraq Pundit  takes a look at how the media covered New Year's celebration in war-torn Iraq in this post. He ends his round up saying:
Now that's what I call first-rate reporting. Good luck with winning the Pulitzer, guys.
Dubai:
AM, who lives in Dubai, UAE, thought she would be celebrating New Year's eve for the first time in 10 years away from work. She explains:
10 years after working on New Year’s eve, I found myself sitting on my couch enjoying a comfi and silent setting during this occasion. Surrounded by my cheese tray and a bottle of Pinot Griggio, remote control and cell phone, it seemed like a dream coming true for a circumstantially off-duty hotelier, especially after a loud family Christmas dinner back home.
Read the rest of the entry to see how the night turned out for this busy hotelier.
Still in the UAE, e3ashig, a doctor, shares his resolutions for the new year here.  They are:
-Be a better person who is more approachable and helpful to those around me.
-Pray more on time.
-Socialise, socialise, socialise.
-Finish military training that has been hanging over my head for years.
-Start a new business.
Lebanon:
Ahmad, who blogs at Cold Desert, wonders why people celebrate New Year's eve. He writes:
You practice your arithmetic skills because you have to do a countdown before midnight.
Never spare any opportunity to push your limits. You can use the occasion to test your alcohol-tolerance. What's your getting-drunk-threshold?!
What's a better way to end the Gregorian year than to help the restaurants, pubs, etc. earn some money to start rich the next year? Don't forget that you will also be helping new singers and dancers get some cash in this stagnant economical state.
Read the rest of his entry to see why he thinks New Year's is celebrated.
Syria:
Syrian blogger Yazan, who lives in Japan, is looking forward to a spectacular 2008. He writes:
2008, a year that I am strangely convinced will be a spectacular one. And it started out as nothing less than that.
I've had a more than wonderful start for this year, I hope everybody else did too.
I'm glad I can just commit 2007 to the bag of bad memories now, and look forward to this new year.
Still in Syria, photoblogger Hovic offers us some scenes of New Year's celebration from the country here.
Jordan:
From Jordan, Hareega too wishes his readers a satisfactory year. He writes:
People say “hope you'll have a great wonderful new year”
I'd like to wish everyone a satisfactory new year, an acceptable new year, without any mega-disasters
Libya:
And last but not least Khadija Teri from Libya ends her year with a question and answer session. Among the 18 questions she asks and answers is:
16. What was something you lost this year?
Car keys! I went to visit someone at khadara Hospital and had them in my pocket. When I came out the keys were gone and it was a pain in the neck because they had the car alarm on the key so I had to replace the keys and the alarm too. And I took my time replacing the alarm, only doing it after my car was broken into and the car stereo was stolen.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!