Tonight, as we say goodbye to the Year of the Sheep and welcome the Year of the Monkey, it is a good time to take stock of the past year. Shanghai Daily features writers re-visited eight people that we profiled in 2003, from all walks of life.

　　We approached them again, at the end of the year, to ask about the highlights of their year -- and their new year's resolutions for the city, and for themselves.

　　Li Qi, 61, local retired nurse Li won the 39th Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest honor for nurses, in 2003. She is the only local medical professional to win the award last year. For me, my most unforgettable memory of 2003 is being awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal by President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. It is really important to me. It inspires me up to make even more contributions to my nursing career.

　　For the upcoming Year of the Monkey, I just wish I could help more people who are in need, and wish that all my patients would recover soon. As for the city, my hope is that it will be cleaner. No spitting, no throwing away garbage on the street.

　　It's necessary, as we are preparing for the 2010 World Expo. Robert Gallup, 39, American magician Gallup, whose first performance in Shanghai was canceled last April because of SARS, finally performed for local audiences this month.

　　I was so close to the Shanghai stage last year, ... (the cancellation) was the most disappointing thing for me in 2003. But, I always believe, as Oriental philosophy tells us, that time is just relative and perseverance prevails at any moment. So, here I am.

　　My biggest wish is for successful shows in Shanghai and elsewhere. That connects me with all those lovely cities, of course, including Shanghai. My wish for Shanghai is that she become more beautiful and prosperous. Karen Mok, 34, Hong Kong pop singer/actress Mok was a frequent visitor to Shanghai in 2003. During the year, she received music awards, attended to business and promoted her latest album, ``X,'' in the city.

　　But her biggest moment in Shanghai was her sold-out solo concert in August, which was also her first on the Chinese mainland. In August I was awarded Best Female Artist at the 14th Taiwan Golden Melody Award, the first Hong Kong-based artist in the award's 14-year history to win this title, and it encouraged me to devote even more to my career.

　　Fans in Shanghai are so lovely and have been consistently supportive.

　　I wish them a happy lunar New Year -- don't forget to spend more time with your family, always. In the upcoming year, I will play the role of popular 1930s Shanghai writer Eileen Chang in ``Recycled,'' which will debut at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

　　This is my first drama production and I want to make it a hit. June Yamada, 57, Japanese fashion critic When we spoke to her in 2003, Yamada was preparing to open the June Yamada Academy, offering courses on fashion and etiquette. She arrived in Shanghai in 2000, and currently runs the International Fashion Club in town.

　　Last year, I finally received the education license for my fashion and etiquette manners academy after a year of waiting. I also wrote a book, which will be published by the Shanghai Translation Publishing House this year.

　　My wish is that Shanghai will be more aware of manners and etiquette, and be more patient and polite to each other.

　　In 2004, my wish for myself is to open my academy as soon as possible. On a personal note, with two marriages behind me, I'm also looking for my third husband in Shanghai. Zhang Yao, 44, Chinese-Austrian photographer Zhang's studio made its name last year when it published a series of picture books on Shanghai and on Zhang's travel experiences around the world. His pictures of the city even surprised Shanghai natives by showing them a hidden side of this city they call home.

　　Last year, my studio published 10 picture books, both domestically and internationally, and held an exhibition, ``Toscana in Blue,'' at Citic Square last November. That was my most unforgettable memory for 2003.

　　I left Shanghai for 20 years. The city is no longer familiar to me. It's hard for me to make a wish for Shanghai as it refreshes my memory and surprises me everyday. The city, in some ways, seems to me addicted to Chicagoan skyscrapers and Parisian boulevards. The integration of traditional culture and a cosmopolitan spirit, the constant, and the ever-changing collision of foreign habits and local conventions make it impossible to define Shanghai.

　　But in all events, Shanghai is ready to embrace the changes of an era that calls for a rich imagination and high technology. In the new year, my studio will continue to popularize the idea of ``verse with vision,'' narrating the anecdotes of a city through the lens of camera. We'll publish more picture books about Shanghai.

　　Zhu Zhaorui, 34, returned MBA from Britain Zhu, a Liaoning Province native, is an example to all Chinese backpackers: You don't have to be rich to travel around the world. The MBA, made his way around the globe with a mere US$3,000, published a book last year sharing his travel experiences with Chinese readers.

　　Last year, I gave up the idea of finding a job and, instead, spent several months writing my first book. The book, which was about my around-the-world tour, has sold more than 130,000 copies so far. For the coming Year of the Monkey,

　　I have three resolutions. One is to finish a 100-lecture tour of Chinese universities -- I've completed 35 in 2003. The second is to take a group of volunteers to travel around the world with me, again, on a budget of US$3,000 for each person. The third is to find a nice girl and have a family.

　　I really want to be a son-in-law of Shanghai. And I hope more Shanghainese have the chance to travel around the world like me. Tung Ho-pin, 22, Dutch-Chinese auto racer Tung received a great deal of attention in China last year, as the man who will likely be the first Chinese face in Formula One racing, which makes its Chinese debut in Shanghai this September. Away from China for years, Tung now lives in Shanghai during off-season.

　　Being able to test drive a Formula One car with the BMW Williams F1 team in Spain last December made me feel closer to my dream.

　　My New Year's resolution is to strive for solid results in European races and realize my dream to become an official F1 driver as soon as possible. My wish for Shanghai is to have a successful Formula One Grand Prix in September.

　　Sun Wen, 31, local retired soccer player/reporter To the observer, 2003 doesn't hold many good memories for the former captain of Chinese National Women Soccer Team.

　　Last September, an unexpected loss to Canada dashed the Chinese team's hopes of securing a semifinal spot at the World Cup in the United States. From another perspective, the year was also a turning point for Sun, who finally decided to retire and become a sports reporter. The most unforgettable memory for me in 2003 was my retirement.

　　I am no more a soccer player.

　　In the new year, I hope to advance my studies at Fudan University as an International Relations major, and to be a good part-time journalist with the local Xinmin Evening News. As a Shanghai native, I hope the city will see greater improvements in its environment, which will enable residents to live in healthier conditions.