VOX POPULI: What are your wishes/hopes for this Lunar New Year?

“Wishing everyone a Happy Lunar New Year, and a year ahead full of joy, good health, good luck, and success. In this Year of the Rabbit, may we come together in the spirit of peace, perseverance, and prosperity.”
—Brianna Hunter, Kagman III

“Hoping to see our Asian businesses continues to partner with our CNMI to be part of our economic growth.”
—Oscar M. Babauta, Chalan Kanoa

“I wish for peace of mind, happiness and prosperity for everyone. We have tough times ahead for everyone in the Commonwealth given our financial situation, but I hope for wisdom and perseverance for our leaders and everyone in the community. We are a resilient people. We can get through anything together.
—Christopher Concepcion, Capital Hill

“I wish this year to be full of happiness and love! This is the year of black rabbits and the rabbits are supposed to be wise and clever. I hope everyone in Marianas overcome all the challenges in life cleverly and wisely.”
—Lindsay Ahn, San Roque

“I just hope that life would be peaceful and that everyone would get along with each other.”
—En Yang Pang, Garapan

“I hope our islands will be better developed to welcome tourists from all over the world as a way to boost the economy.”
—Sun Fei, Garapan

“Wish for good health, happiness, and peace.”
—Feng Xiaohong, Finasisu

“As a Bible-believing church missionary/pastor, frankly I hope many people on Saipan and other parts of the world will come to Jesus for salvation. We need to realize that the world is not getting better. We need to pray to Jesus to forgive and save us. The only answer to the plight we’re facing is going to Jesus Christ in repentance. I hope many people will get saved spiritually by the only savior in this new year!”
—Pastor Kok H. Pang, Gualo Rai

“In the new year, I hope to work harder to help more people and make every day count.”
—Afra Gao, Publiko Drive, Garapan

“[We usually] celebrate with my family together and then we go to eat together. But then my family are all in China, so usually we only celebrate with our friends, like our Chinese friends. We’ll come together, and everyone will bring some food, and then we’ll celebrate—just look at the moon and watch fireworks as everyone celebrates the new year.”
—Annie Ren, Chalan Kanoa

“I’m a senior in high school, so this will be my last year, so I really look forward to spending time with all of my friends because [Lunar] New Year is one of the only times we gather around. So I think it’s a great chance to interact with, like, aunts and uncles, and just have fun, and like grow one more year. This upcoming year, I’m hoping to get a college admission, and I just hope that my plans go “safe,” like flying to America, experiencing a new place, new school year, and just hope that the year goes smoothly.”
—Angel Ren, Chalan Kanoa

“My hopes for the Lunar New Year is for happiness and peace. I hope for everyone to be happy. I hope that it will also be a fresh start to people. May wealth flow in their door.”
—Angel Li, Susupe

“For adults, we are happy, but it’s not the same with how kids are happy for the Chinese New Year. Because you have a lot of things to do, and buy, you know, Chinese New Year, you need to make sure everything in the house is clean…for luck and you have to spend money. …Yeah, Chinese New Year is a happy time. Maybe not like the same type of happy for the kids—they are happy with new clothes from their parents, aunties, uncles. It’s just that for the adults, it’s a different feeling.”
—Jenny Bennett, Chalan Kanoa

“We will buy some fireworks and dumplings, and then at night all the family will stay together, eat, and enjoy some TV shows, Chinese TV show. And so we’ll do that overnight, we will stay up ’til past 12 o’clock, and celebrate that. …We hope for the best of wishes and good luck for the new year.”
—Shangming Zuo, of Pacific Hafa Adai, Chalan Lau Lau

My hopes for the Lunar Year for my Asian friends are wishing them good health, prosperity, and happiness.

—Becky P. Cruz, Papago