Asked to sum up 2015 in two words, and to do the same for their expectations for the coming year, people around the world have this to say:

2015: “A mess.”
2016: “Fresh start.”

— Korawut Lam, college student

2015: “Smog, corruption.”
2016: “Lower prices, safe Internet.”

— Chen Chen, hairdresser

2015: “Economic crisis.”
2016: “Olympic crisis.”

— Meire Gomes, jewelry seller

2015: “Lousy economy.”
2016: “More money.”

— Ronnie Boyd, who sells knickknacks and scarves on Times Square

2015: “Tough life.”
2016: “Better economy.”

— Tony Wong, businessman

2015: “Move on.”
2016: “New house.”

— Jojo Moro, Typhoon Haiyan survivor