Faber-Castell Introduces Fast Gel Z Gel Pen for An Unbeatable Smooth Writing Experience

Working from home? Going through e-learning from home throughout the endless lockdown period? Need pens that provides you a smooth efficiency while taking notes and whatnot? Here’s recommending you one; the new Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z.

Faber-Castell Malaysia has launched the Fast Gel Z, a new retractable gel pen that offers an unbeatable smooth writing experience, making it the smoothest gel pen in the market.

In engineering the Fast Gel Z, Faber-Castell developed a new and innovative multi-channelled tip that is paired with ultra-low viscosity ink that results in an unrivalled smooth writing performance.

This innovative combination results in The Fast Gel Z Pen delivering the smoothest writing performance out of any other pen in the market.

With the new tip technology, there is less friction between the pen and the paper, resulting in a smooth laydown. In laboratory friction tests conducted with other competitor gel pens in the market, the Fast Gel Z pen achieves the lowest friction.

“Faber-Castell always strives to produce innovative products that cater to the demands and needs of consumers. Some of the concerns we noted among consumers when using a gel pen is its inability to glide smoothly coupled with constant ink smudges and slippery especially during a long writing duration, which do not give consumers a good writing experience. This has prompted us to innovate the Fast Gel Z pen that can take users’ writing experience to new peaks,” said Mr Andrew Woon, Managing Director of Faber-Castell Malaysia.

“With the inclusion of the latest technologies, such as the precision tip technology and ultra smooth ink feature, one can now experience pure writing pleasure using the Fast Gel Z Pen as it ensures an effortless, vibrant and intense line; without skips, smudges and lags,” added Andrew.

Andrew said the gel pen is an important business segment for Faber-Castell Malaysia. According to a study by Kantar, the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company, the market size of gel pens in 2019 stands at RM43 million in Malaysia.

Persistence Market Research’s published report in 2020 state that the global writing instruments market is expected to expand 1.5 times by 2030. Students represent the biggest opportunity in terms of end users in the writing instruments market and is on track to expand at a CAGR of around 5 percent through 2030. Among the stationery product types, the pen segment account for a significant share of approximately 60 percent in the global writing instruments market.

The new Fast Gel Z pen includes the following features:

*Ultimate smoothness in writing performance

*Fast-dry ink with no smudges

*Intense, vibrant inks

*Extra-soft grip for superior comfort when writing
Refillable

Discover the ultimate smoothness of the Fast Gel Z today! This gel pen comes in two variants – 0.5mm and 0.7mm, both of which are available in black, blue and red ink.

Each Fast Gel Z Pen retails at RM5 a pen while its refill retails at RM3.50. They are now available at major stationery stores and hypermarkets nationwide as well as Faber-Castell’s eShop at https://shop.faber-castell.com.my/.

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Tujuh Cerita Nabi, Sajian Nurflix

Nurflix yang merupakan platform penstriman video kandungan Islamik dan patuh Syariah menerusi segmen Nurflix Junior bakal menyajikan cerita-cerita animasi kenabian yang dijangka menemui penonton mulai Ogos ini.

Penerbit Eksekutif Nurflix Junior, Diana Amir berkata, cerita-cerita animasi yang dibawakan khas dari Turki itu merangkumi tujuh penceritaan dengan 330 episod yang akan ditayangkan dalam dua versi, Arab dan terjemahan serta Bahasa Melayu. Antara tujuh kisah yang akan disampaikan kepada khalayak antaranya ialah cerita Habibullah (Muhammad SAW), Khalilullah (Ibrahim Alaihissalam), Kalimullah (Musa Alaihissalam), Nuh Alaihissalam, Sulaiman Alaihissalam dan Adam Alaihissalam.

“Pada fasa pertama, cerita-cerita ini akan ditayangkan dalam bahasa Arab dengan sari kata bahasa Melayu dan Inggeris. Pada fasa kedua pula, kesemuanya akan ditayangkan dalam versi alih bahasa ke bahasa Melayu. Cerita-cerita yang bakal disajikan ini disemak dengan terperinci di Turki dan mematuhi Syariah dan bersesuaian dengan tontonan ramai,” demikian menurut Diana Amir.

“Majlis para asatizah kami dikenali Nurpath juga telah mula menyemak kandungan ketujuh-tujuh cerita animasi yang dibawakan dari Turki ini. Alhamdulillah setakat ini cerita-cerita animasi ini menepati ciri yang ditetapkan sebelum dipertontonkan kepada orang ramai,” tambahnya.

Namun berikutan Perlaksanaan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) fasa 3.0, katanya proses pengalihan bahasa itu terpaksa dihentikan.
Menurut Diana, sebelum ini, platform ini dinamakan Nurkids yang mensasarkan kanak-kanak di bawah 14 tahun. Namun selepas perbincangan, belia di bawah 21 tahun turut memerlukan kandungan bermanfaat seperti ini lalu platform tersebut telah ditukarkan kepada Nurflix JR.

“Tentunya kita mahukan tontonan yang terbaik untuk anak-anak agar mereka membesar dengan nilai-nilai Islam,” ujar Diana Amir lagi yang menjelaskan bahawa semua bahan tontonan Nurflix adalah selamat ditonton.

Turut menerangkan tentang perjalanan Nurflix dan Nurflix JR adalah Syah Mohamed yang merupakan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Nurflix yang memberitahu bahawa setakat ini Nurflix telah menerima sambutan positif dengan jumlah langganan yang menggalakkan.
“Setakat ini, kami merekodkan antara 22,000 hingga 23,000 jumlah langganan secara percuma. Manakala mereka yang mengikuti kandungan kami secara berbayar (langganan sepanjang hayat) adalah sekitar 10 peratus buat masa ini.

“Insya-Allah, kemungkinan besar kami akan lancarkan langganan secara berbayar sepenuhnya sekitar Januari tahun hadapan apabila jumlah kandungan kami mencecah angka 1,000,” jelasnya.
Nurflix kini dalam perbincangan dengan platform penstriman Islamik seluruh dunia bagi membina gabungan kerjasama penyebaran kandungan media yang sopan dan bermanfaat untuk generasi.

“Kemasukan kandungan luar ke dalam Nurflix bakal memberi pelbagai peluang pekerjaan dalam sektor pos-produksi, terjemahan kandungan dan alih bahasa. Inisiatif ini juga dibuat agar khalayak akan dapat terus menikmati kandungan patuh syariah dalam dan luar negara yang disajikan kepada pengguna” katanya.

Aplikasi Nurflix boleh dicapai melalui laman web https://nurflix.tv , Apple Appstore dan Google Playstore.

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3 Things to Do When You Bring Home a New Dog

For many people, a family doesn’t feel complete unless there is a dog in the mix. Dogs bring a great deal of love and joy into the family circle and can also help to teach the younger members of the family about responsibility and what it means to care for another.

You might find that you would like to adopt a dog for your family for these and many other reasons. However, if you haven’t owned a dog before, you might not be aware of what you need to do to get started on the right foot with your new furry friend.

The fact of the matter is that it is going to take some time for your new dog to get used to its new home. It is likely used to a very different sort of environment, so you should be prepared for a bit of an adjustment period right from the start. However, with the right amount of preparation and planning, you can make this transitional period for your dog and your family much smoother for everyone involved.

With that in mind, here are three things that you will want to do when you bring home your new dog.

1. Call the Vet

Just because the dog that you have adopted is healthy and in good shape, that doesn’t mean that you should put off making the first call to the vet. You will need to register your dog with a vet and make sure that your pup has received all recommended and required vaccinations.

It is a good idea to do a quick search on veterinary clinics in your area prior to bringing your pup home so that you can make sure to find one that offers all of the services that you are looking for. For example, some vet clinics, such as Green Valley Veterinary Clinic, offer grooming services in addition to quality veterinary care.

2. Make Space for Your Pup

Another thing that you will want to take care of before you bring your new dog home is to designate a specific place for him or her in your house. For example, find an ideal place to put a doggy bed and all of their new toys so that they will know right away that they have a place that is all their own.

By giving your dog its own space, you can help them to feel more at ease with their new home. When they know that they can retreat to their own space when they are tired or overwhelmed, they will acclimate much quicker.

3. Prepare the Family

Your dog isn’t the only one who is going to be experiencing a major life change when you bring them home. The rest of your family will also need to be ready for the new addition. Make sure that you take steps to prepare kids, especially younger ones, for the new arrival so that they know how they should treat their new pup.

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Signs It Is Time for Your Home Bathroom Renovation

When there are signs it is time for your home bathroom renovation, maybe it’s time for you to give a new look to your bathroom. If you are one of the homeowners wishing to make some changes to your house, you need to understand that you don’t have to move to a new house in order to get what you need.

So, how to tell if it is time for a bathroom renovation?

Spoilt or malfunctioning water heater

In today’s world, most people can’t live without a water heater because no one is so hardworking to manually heat the water for bathing, hand washing, etc everyday. Hence, repair or get a new instant water heater installation service if it is malfunctioning.

Broken old tiles

Aged tiling if they are used over a long time and some are broken, chipped or even outdated patterned tiles will date your bathroom. Hence, engaging a tiling service can help your space to look better and reflect your decoration style.

Leakage or mold growth

Both of these are a common sign to renovate your bathroom for you and your family. Most household accidents happen in the bathroom, so please renovate to avoid slipping or inhaling mold and toxins.

Wear and tear

Bathrooms are prone to daily wear and tear. Some things may not function anymore over time. For example, a broken toilet seat, a hole in the middle of a door or damaged bathroom sink. In these cases, you can consider a new toilet bowl installation and sink installation service.

Poor lighting in the bathroom

Your bathroom is usually the first place you go in the morning, and it can set the mood for the rest of the day. Adequate lighting adds to the function of the bathroom.

Current layout not working

A bathroom layout should be functionally designed. A good bathroom layout and bathroom decor can create a more spacious feel.

Renovating a bathroom may take time, effort, money and patience, but it increases the overall quality and energy of the house. Having a spa occasionally at home is another type of relaxing too. You can do this through a bathtub installation in your master bathroom.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of a bathroom, do your research and hire an experienced bathroom renovation service in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor for your house. If your bathroom exhibits the above signs, it’s really a time for your bathroom to renovate.

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Stay Home and Shop Malaysian Made Products with PG Mall Proudly Local Sale

What I’ve been fearing since the end of September 2020 finally happened. Covid19 infections is on the raise and CMCO is back with vengeance for those who are living in Sabah and Klang Valley. To say that I’m utterly heartbroken is an understatement since I’m living in Kuala Lumpur, a place where those who resides in falls under the CMCO order. We’re once again advised to work from home and only 2 person per household is allowed to buy essentials. Plenty of other leisure and sports activities are banned as well.

While I still can do shopping the traditional ways in malls, the thoughts and the hassle of going through roadblocks and following strict SOP is a huge turnoff and I can no longer feel the joy and the pleasure of shopping at malls like I used to. Shopping is not a happy and fun thing anymore. It instead has become a horridly lonesome and detestable chore.

Online shopping is much more preferably for me these days. One of my favourite shopping platform is PG Mall.

Have you heard of PG Mall? If you haven’t, then allow me to share with you all about it.

Established since 2017, PG Mall is THE ONLY local e-commerce platform in Malaysia that ranked Top 3 at Iprice Insight Report. So, what’s good about PG Mall that they reigned the Top 3 ranking at Iprice Insight Report? Well, for one, PG Mall accepts all e-wallets and payment gateway, making it extremely hassle-free and convenient to shop without worrying about the payment channel to use.

And guess what, guys? Right now PG Mall is having massive sale on well known local stores and products. I’ve compiled it out for your convenience so do take a look at it:

Proudly Local Sale

From July until December 2020, support local products and get up to RM30 off for your purchases. All you need to do is apply the voucher codes below during checkout.

Coupon Code: KBBM20 RM20 OFF ,Min Spend RM50Coupon Code : KBBM30 RM 30 OFF , Min Spend RM100

Shop for essentials home product, groceries , Kids and Baby, Health & Beauty, Automotive & Sports, Electronics Appliances , Fashion

Coupon Code : KBBM30 RM 30 OFF , Min Spend RM100

Shop for essentials home product, groceries , Kids and Baby, Health & Beauty, Automotive & Sports, Electronics Appliances , Fashion

#BarangBaikBarangkita

https://pgmall.my/proudly-local-campaign

Below are some of the selected stores For KBBM (Kempen Beli Barangan Buatan Malaysia)


KH Superior Mart

Aik Cheong
Cobizco Food
Chobe Master
Cactus Marketing
Butik Bos
Costplus Online
Softlove Malaysia
Hurixs
Lee Hin Motor

Home Essential Campaign

From 19th-31st October 2020, have fun doing home improvements projects as you stay home.

Get RM15 OFF with minimum spend RM60

Apply Coupon Code : LIFESTYLE

So, ladies and gentlemen, if you’re affected by the CMCO restriction, don’t be sad. It’s only temporary. Let’s do our part to break the Covid19 infection chains and instead of going out unnecessarily, be safe and stay home.

Shop now and add to your favourite local made products to cart now at PG Mall.

About PGMall:
Website:
www.pgmall.my https://pgmall.my/?Source=Blogger&BloggerID=674
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/pgmall.my/
Telegram :
https://t.me/pgmallofficial001

#PGMall #onlineshopping #shopping #MalaysiaNo1ecommerceplatform #ecommerceplatform #Shopnow #Shoponline
#ByMalaysiansToMalaysians #BarangBaikBarangKita #Homeessentials #Stayathome

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Inspiring Children During Covid-19 Crisis, One Story at A Time with #SaveWithStoriesMY

Covid-19 has undeniably affected our lifestyles. It’s not easy to adapt to the new normal, but life goes on and we all need to adapt and make the best out of the situation. In braving the Covid-19 Crisis, the way of education in Malaysia has undergone drastic changes and classrooms has mostly been digitalised and been taken online.


In line with Malaysian government’s efforts to encourage reading and literacy among young children in Malaysia, especially the special needs and the underprivileged ones, AFO Radio recently partnered with Traqkid, Kiwanis Malaysia and VGI Transit to encourage reading among children with the #SaveWithStoriesMY campaign.

Inspired by celebrities in the United States who launched an Instagram account that features celebrities and other notable figures reading children’s books under a fundraising project called Save With Stories,  the Malaysian version of Save With Stories program will be told  in three languages namely Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and English. Each story aims to raise the awareness of reading among young children by selecting interesting children’s stories that will inspire the interest of viewers or listeners to listen and develop a culture of reading.

The highlight of this storytelling project is that each stories is read by an individual who may be a celebrity, a radio announcer or a popular individual on their choice of social media platforms.

William Lim, Chief Executive Officer of AFO Radio explained, “This MCO we saw many people getting involved in helping the underprivileged and we wanted to do our part. When we stumbled across Save With Stories online, we thought it is a wonderful campaign that we can adopt here in Malaysia.”

“We wanted to work with partners that can further enhance this initiative and were fortunate to find Traqkid, who provides solutions surrounding kids’ health, safety and environment, Kiwanis Malaysia that has a history of over 45 years in the promotion for the  betterment of children and VGI Transit who will support awareness of this campaign through its advertising platforms.”

“Each of us will use our capabilities to help raise the awareness of the importance of reading in education and at the same time appeal to donors to fund our campaign to help the less fortunate children.  And what better way to do this than with our very own celebrities to help read to the children and their parents.  We hope this campaign will help inculcate a reading habit with children especially now that we are all confined at home,” added William.

“Traqkid wanted to make a difference in everything we do for our children. Education is the foundation of knowledge and with everything going digital, listening online is the new trend to go. Having a platform such as AFO Radio to help broadcast this campaign on air and online will truly reach out to many people,” says Simon Chin, CEO of Traqkid and also the President Elect of Kiwanis Club of Damansara Uptown.

Kiwanis has been in Malaysia over 45 years. Currently we have 20 permanent projects representing centres for children with special needs established and managed by various Kiwanis clubs all over Malaysia.  These centres run intervention program, job training and other skills development.  Beneficiaries of these centres are mainly children with Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, slow learners and other physical or mental conditions.  With SaveWithStoriesMY, our aim is to raise RM100,000. The money will be used to continue our efforts in providing the under privileged education and also to feed those in need.

“We had embarked on digitalization project to support the Kiwanis clubs and community since 18 months ago.  It is timely that phase 1 of the project was recently completed with the revamped website & payment portal with 2C2P.   A few of clubs have been able to take advantage of this project to raise more than RM40,000 online for families affected by the Covid 19 pandemic,” said Dr Laurence Lim, Governor of Kiwanis Malaysia District added.

The #SaveWithStoriesMY campaign kickstarted a week ago has already garnered an impressive pool of celebrities in the likes of Deborah Henry -Miss Universe Malaysia 2011 & Miss Malaysia World 2007, Carey Ng – Miss Malaysia Universe 2013, Steve Yap – Actor, Wan Wai Fun – previously MYFM announcer & actress and not forgetting Selene and Kym who are both anchor radio announcers at AFO Radio, just to name a few.  Many more postings can be found via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/savewithstoriesmy) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/savewithstoriesmy).

The objective of #SavewithstoriesMY to inspire everyone to read as well as raise funds to support projects that will help children to gain access to books and education materials, improve their wellbeing and education programs that will nurture their overall development.The campaign will continue throughout Covid-19 Crisis and beyond.

For more information on SaveWithStoriesMY, please visit
https://www.aforadio.com/shows/-storiesmy

https://www.facebook.com/savewithstoriesmy

https://kiwanis.org.my/savewithstoriesmy/

 

To donate, please visit  Kiwanis Malaysia website https://kiwanis.org.my/savewithstoriesmy/. With just a few simple steps such as filling up your details, click donate to select the amount you would like to donate which start from as low as RM15 up to RM1,000.

 

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An Insight into Fengshui with Amanda Leong

You know sometimes when you meet someone and you immediately feels uncomfortable with them? Or there are times when you go some places a room and you suddenly feel spooked and getting goosebumps but couldn’t exactly understand why you feel that way about the place as on the outside it looks like there’s nothing wrong there. Everyone likes to be around peole who they are comfortable with and a cozy home to relax in, but couldn’t actually achieve that regardless how they try. I am one of those people who tends to be on the sensitive side. I was told that the reason for this is that I’m quite sensitive to the aura that certain people or place emits. The Chinese calls such thing as Feng Shui. Feng Shui, literally translated as ‘wind water’ in Chinese language, is branch of pseudoscience
originating from ancient China, which emphasizes the use of energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surroundings and environment. People used to think this is merely superstitions that the Ancient Chinese practices, but Feng Shui has somehow evolved over the years, and more and more people have embraced this scientific art form and started to implement Feng Shui principles into their own lifestyle; regardless of their location and background. This complex form of science/art is used to attract positive energy through meticulous calculations, orientation, logistical thinking and product positioning. This intriguing mix of art, design and science is very compelling, and what better way to get an insight of it than to speak to a real life Feng Shui expert?

Four from left: Ms. Amanda Leong, Feng Shui& Metaphysic Consultant.

Worked herself all the way to the top as a General Manager in a multi-national organizations and holds a Master’s in Business Administration, Ms. Amanda Leong has led her company to be one of the prominent ground operator in the world renowned Formula One event not just in the Malaysia, but in China and Japan too. However, despite of her success, she decided to get out of her comfort zone and stepped away from a high paying corporate job to spend more time on things that really mattered in her life, like health and overall well-being.

With a goal to unlock the mystery of hidden illnesses which she was personally experiencing, Ms. Amanda Leong started to take interest in Reiki, Qi Gong and Chinese Metaphysics like Ba Zi, Feng Shui and Qi Men Dun Jia since 2010.

Fast forward today, she is now a Reiki Master and professional metaphysics consultant. She has successfully used Ba Zi to diagnose the hidden health issues that are not detectable by western medical professionals (doctors) and used Reiki, an alternative healing method to heal herself and others.

Her corporate experience, modern and practical approach on Metaphysics sets her apart from the older and traditional practitioners in the field because she is able to offer practical strategic business advices to her clients, guiding them to make better decisions with this ancient wisdom.

Every now and then, she is invited as a guest speaker for some global events participated by thousands of people, to share her successful experiences as a metaphysics consultant.

As a successful investor, she also published an e-book on investments as a goal to share her successful experiences and insights to ensure new investors are able to learn and avoid making the common mistakes as a new investor would.

During our up-close and personal session, Ms.Amanda explains that Feng Shui philosophy can be traced back several thousands of years in China, from early settling periods where farming and crop growing were practically the way of life for commoners. In it’s earliest origins Feng Shui focused on the identification of safe dwelling places where families could grow their crops and prosper. Feng Shui also played a significant role in positioning burial sites for family members and clansmen. As time goes by, this mystical art was later applied on a much larger scale with Feng Shui principles helping to build palaces, government properties and public monuments. Good location that brings luck and prosperity is everything for the Chinese back then. It’s main aim is to make pin-point detailed observations of natural and man-made environments, considering how the earth’s energy has a direct effect on areas and the influence it has on its inhabitants.

In the modern era today, Feng Shui is now a recognised service for home design, with interior designers drafting in Feng Shui consultants to work with their clients. Ms.Amanda is one of such practitioner.

According to Ms. Amanda, before any furniture are selected for certain houses or office, designers and homeowners will be adviced on how to get the best out of their space through item positioning and look to fully assess the area for potentially good and clean energy.

Other services offered are; Corporate packages (Reiki Training, key staff selection, product launching, Feng Shui, etc), Online consultations for overseas Feng Shui for residence and commercial, House Selection using Feng Qi Men Dun Jia via through Personal Destiny Analysis using Ba Zi
Divination, Auspicious Date Selecting for marriage, caesarean delivery, product launching, and many more.

Now, like many others, I used to think Feng Shui is nothing but superstitious practices and is only for the traditional Chinese, but having spent some time with the expert herself, I discovered that it’s not true. Feng Shui related things does make sense in some ways and can help to improve the quality of someone’s life and is definitely helpful in decision-making whenever things get out of focus.

Want to learn how to make the most of your living or work space by harmonizing its energy flow? Wanna learn Reiki and boost your wellness from inside out? Needs divination or simply need an advice on auspicious date for important events in your life? Well, then, drop by https://www.amandafs.com and find out how to bring the best of you through Feng Shui.

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Malaysia’s First Ever Book Tunnel Concept Bookstore Opens at BookXcess Sunsuria Forum

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BookXcess Sunsuria Forum is Malaysia’s first-ever book tunnel concept bookstore that takes visitors on a journey of reading surrounded by half a million books.

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Spanning16,000 square feet, the bookstore is located at SB-1, Sunsuria Forum @ 7th Avenue, Setia Alam withbooks at 50% to 80% off recommended retail price. The bookstore is open from 10am to 10pm, daily. Visitors who visit the bookstore will be left in awe as they experience the eye-catching and towering circular bookshelf at the entrance. Proceed through the tunnel of bookshelves and visitors will be transported to different worlds as they explore the bookstore. Book lovers can expect a variety of books from art and design to literature, fiction, non-fiction, young adult, children’s books and many more hidden gems.
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The bookstore also features a comfortable work station and reading spaces for customers to browse the sample books available. Readers who enjoy curling up with a great book and a cup of coffee can go for a premium cup of brew and a variety of sweet treats at BookXcess’ very own in-store café.

Parents will appreciate the children’s section where their children can play in the mini-maze and indulge in their extensive collection of children’s books. Exclusively for BookXcess, parents of young ones will also find Magical Books incorporated with Augmented Reality (AR) available at the store. Children will be able to read, play and learn with these Magical Books as it uses cutting-edge technology to revolutionise reading for the next generation that creates an immersive, interactive reading experience. Featuring fifteen titles, little ones will be able to see their favourite characters from Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella or The Night Before Christmas come to life.

Visitors can enjoy 20% off titles on top of the discounted books during the opening weekend from 31 October – 3 November 2019. During the opening weekend, visitors who spend over RM50, RM100 and RM150 will be entitled to selected promotions such as free BookXcess membership, free coffee or tea at Café Wolf along with RM10 off or RM20 off their next purchase. Visit BookXcess’ social media pages for more info:

For further info and on-going contests, please visit:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookXcess/
Instagram: @bookxcess
Website: https://www.bookxcess.com/

 

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Things You Need To Know About Singapore Property Market 2019

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Recent property cooling measures may have reduced market sentiment towards the end of 2018, but this year will see a slew of project launches as many en bloc properties sold in the last one year are expected to be launched for sale in the coming months. Developers are expected to value their projects more affordably in light of the current sentiment, which will benefit home buyers looking for good deals. However, it remains to be seen if buyers will choose to wait on the sidelines or enter the market. Over 50 project launches, unleashing 20,000 units, are expected in 2019. In this article, we have pointed out 5 things you need to know about how the Singapore property market could develop in 2019.

1) New launches in the residential market

In the pipeline for launch in 2019 are about 60 projects. Several developers have already lined up showings in January, ahead of Chinese New Year on February 5. Many of these projects are freehold, and are located near the Orchard Road shopping street and top international schools.

2) Interest rates are climbing

Home loan interest rates in Singapore are historically around 3.7 to 4 per cent. However, they have been below two per cent for almost a decade now, largely thanks to the American Federal Reserve setting its interest rate to zero. Two rate hikes are planned for 2019, and interest rates in Singapore are already higher. The Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR) is more than double what it was in 2017. The rising interest rate makes mortgages more expensive. For borrowers who are already struggling such as those who exceed your limit before cooling measures and loan curbs, 2019 could be the year that breaks them.

3) Mortgagee sales are expected to rise

Singapore landlords have a lot of holding power, so mortgagee sales are not common. Mortgagee sales are expected to rise in 2019, as more owners are choosing to list their properties on the auction market. Including re-listings, the number of properties put up for sale at auctions totaled 1,087 last year as at November 30, 2018. This was 35.4% higher compared to the figure in 2017.

4) Larger plots and higher prices for Good Class Bungalows (GCBs)

GCBs are restricted properties and coveted by foreigners. Some of the recent purchases were by newly minted Singapore citizens from China, Taiwan and India as well as selected permanent residents who have obtained approval to purchase from the Land Dealings Approval Unit of the Singapore Land Authority. The typical profile of GCB buyers tends to be UHNW families involved in the real estate, fashion, F&B, engineering and construction businesses.

5) Increased demand for shophouses

The property cooling measures in July 2018 have influenced the super-rich to switch from luxury homes to an alternative asset class namely conservation shophouses. With prices having risen, the profile has widened to include local and overseas high-net-worth investors, family offices and boutique real estate funds. The property cooling measures in July 2018 have influenced the super-rich to switch from luxury homes to an alternative asset class: conservation shophouses, which are in limited supply, especially those zoned for commercial use in the prime districts.

Previously, shophouse buyers were a mix of investors and owner-occupiers. But with prices going up, the buyer profile has expanded to include local and overseas high-net-worth investors, family offices and boutique real estate funds. They see conservation shophouses as good long-term investments.

6) Tenants have the upper hand

Rental rates gone up over the past year. However, landlords are not out of the woods yet. There is a lot of supply incoming for 2019 and 2020. According to the government, supply in the pipeline stands at about 45,000. Therefore, we believe it remains a tenant’s market, and rents will swing back into mild growth throughout 2019 despite the slight uptick in rental rates.

7) Commercial property: Growth to continue
We assume office rents to post a second year of double-digit growth in 2019, as vacancies tighten within a tight supply outlook and healthy demand. We expect annual additions to Singapore office stock to halve to one million square feet in 2019 and 2020, from two million in the preceding three years. Demand on the other hand appears to be well supported by the expansion plans of tech companies, as well as co-working operators that offer flexible workspaces. In total, the amount of space taken up by flexible offices could rise 20 per cent in 2019 or around 600,000 square feet, according to Colliers.

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Scuba Diving Experience at UCSI Diving Centre, Cheras

It was 19th May 2019 and it’s my husband’s birthday, and also our wedding anniversary.  I have always felt that blowing candles on cakes is so overrated, and so I decided to do something different this year.

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Although I had my eyes on tandem skydiving to commemorate our 17th anniversary, I gave it a pass considering that my husband does not deal well with with heights. So, instead of getting on a plane and jump off, I dragged him to Discovery Scuba Diving trial session at USCI Diving Centre with me to celebrate; literally under water. Here’s a picture of me and my husband at UCSI Diving Centre. It’s our first diving experience ever, and I was really excited about it.

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Here are the equipments commonly used for Scuba Diving; oxygen tank, regulators, weight belts, snorkel masks, fins, etc.

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Our diving instructor was Ms.Cyviour and here’s safety briefing in session. We were briefed on how to equip ourselves with the scuba diving equipments alongside the hand signals that is commonly used to communicate among divers underwater.

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Once our instructor was satisfied that everything was all right and that we understood everything that she conveyed, we hopped into the pool to experience our very first confined water diving.

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It feels amazing, to be honest, and definitely something I’d do again in a heartbeat.

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Here’s yours truly, learning how to navigate and maneuveur in the water. It’s truly relaxing and thereupeutic.

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We were taught to always stay near our diving buddy and never stray far in any circumstances.

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I’m not much a swimmer, to be honest. At most, I can say that I can only float around. Initially I thought diving would be difficult, but trust me, diving is honestly easier than swimming. At least to me, it is easier than swimming once you get used to breathing with your mouth through the regulator.

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My husband and I in the pool together. I wanted to do the “I jump, you jump” from the plane but ended up trying scuba diving instead for our anniversary. No regrets there and I’m already scheming for a PADI license so that I will be able to experience the beauty of the underwater world, and hopefully by our 18th anniversary next year, we’ll be able to dive for real in the open water with PADI license in our pocket.

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It was indeed a memorable experience, I must say and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Diving is definitely endorphine inducing and I really like it alot.

If you would like to try diving but not sure where to start, you might want to consider heading over to USCI Diving Centre, Cheras. The instructors are really patient and friendly and the session is non-swimmer friendly.

⚡️Discovery Scuba Diving Session RM50 / person only(promo price)】
Inclusive of full equipment + One-time 60 minutes scuba diving confined water experience @ UCSI Swimming Pool.

Discovery Scuba Diving is available for adult/child age 8 and above. For more info about PADI and scuba diving courses offered at UCSI Diving Centre, hop over to: https://www.facebook.com/ucsiscubadiving/

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