The New Year is a time for making resolutions and hoping for a better time ahead. Here are Top 8 hopes for Beijing and its people in 2007. They are based on the recommended official Olympic list and the belief that you should wish what you can do, as you cannot do what you wish.
No 1: More blue-sky days
By December 24, 2006, Beijing had seen 238 days with clear skies, which accounted for 65 per cent for the year. The gloomy, polluted smog that hung over the city during the remaining days served as a grim reminder of the city's uphill battle against air pollution for more blue-sky days in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
No 2: Fewer cars on the road
Many Beijing motorists who own a private car, including myself, responded to the call of the local "drive one day less" campaign in November when African leaders were in town for a summit. Interestingly, although nearly half a million government cars were kept garaged during the Sino-African forum, officials said the ban had hardly affected their work. We can do this, Beijing drivers!
No 3: Better working conditions for Olympic jour-nalists
Following new rules that came into force this year, overseas journalists can conduct inter-views in China as long as they get the consent of interviewees. I hope this new policy will also induce people to be more comfortable when answering questions from the media. An effective implementation of the temporary rules, without glitches, is important also because people expect their validity to be extended after the Games.
No 4: Less spitting
A public campaigner against spitting told China Daily: "Seeing people hacking and spitting was a strong assault on one's sensibilities." I wish people would have a greater sense of pride and spit less.
No 5: No more topless men
The hot, sticky weather last summer set loose droves of men who went topless across the city. Such men, called bangye in Chinese, were not manual laborers who worked on construction sites or operated pedicabs under the scorching sun. Many just sauntered along or played chess or had other sorts of fun on the sidewalks, topless. It would be embarrassing if millions of foreign visitors were to be greeted by these bangye of different ages and shapes during the summer Games. Civic officials and campaigners should work out ways to motivate these topless men to put their shirts back on.
No. 6: More liveable place
The Olympic organizers have said that the construction of venues has been "progressing smoothly" and pledged all will be completed by the end of 2007. Residents may have good reason to expect a nicer place to live as the Olympic-related massive urban development is drawing to an end.
No. 7: Buying tickets to the opening ceremony
Olympic organizers have said they will accept reservations for tickets to the Games in the first half of 2007 and details of the sales will be announced. The cost for a family of four to the opening ceremony will cost any where between 800 yuan and 20,000 yuan ($103-2,564), depending on where you want to perch at the Bird's Nest National Stadium. While hoping for value for money, paying spectators may also be heartened to learn that there will be no "back-door" free tickets.
No. 8: I wish to know more
When asked to comment on the preparations for the opening ceremony of the Games, Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said: "I don't want to know. I want to be surprised on August 8, 2008."
As a journalist, I wish to know now, right down to the details of the rehearsal of the forthcoming extravaganza, torch relay and other well-guarded secrets of any Games.