♥Miriam MerryGoRound♥

Hi merry goers.

It's December and tis' the time for giving. I love December! It's the best month of the year because not only it's my birthday month but also because December means Christmas. Time to start looking for the perfect gift and well I received my perfect gift from Dell a few weeks back.

Dell™ XPS 13 2-in-1

Dell unveiled a series of world-first innovations in personal computing and gaming at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2017. Powered by the latest 7th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, these products—designed to deliver the best visual experience with improved gameplay—are now officially available in Malaysia. Among these is the new XPS 13 2-in-1 which is one of the world’s smallest 13-inch 2-in-1.

The minute I laid eyes on it, I just loved it because it is super sleek! And they weren't kidding when they said it was one of the world's smallest 13 inch 2-in-1. The XPS 13 2-in-1 is only 13.7mm thin and just 1.24kg! That's even lighter than my handbag. I just have to slip into a laptop sleeve and I can bring it everywhere I go. It's super portable and light that I started bringing it around. I used to dread carrying around my bulky laptop because it's heavy and I have to cart it around in my laptop bag.

Don't underestimate this little baby because it packs a punch with its performance. I got the Intel's 7th Generation Core i7 processor which is paired with Intel HD Graphics 615. I could open several programs even heavy ones like Photoshop and Lightroom without it crashing on me.

Battery wise, it did not disappoint me either. For basic usage like Word or Excel, I could use it for roughly 8 hours while if I were to use it to stream movies or Netflix, it could last me up to 6 to 7 hours. It's perfect for me during my cafe hopping sessions because I no longer had to cart that big battery adapter/charger and worry that my battery would die on me.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is built with machined aluminum, carbon fiber, bonded , and steel hinges wrapped in machined aluminum for stronger construction. A display that is up to 10 times more scratch resistant than soda lime glass and a palm rest that is cooler to the touch give it a top-shelf feel.

The gorgeous UltraSharp QHD+ (5.7M pixels) Infinity Edge touch display is perfect for that movie night with the pug. 2.5 times that of a Full HD Display and with the IPS wide-viewing angles, we could enjoy 70° views on a brilliantly bright 400-nit screen. Even outdoors under bright light, I did not have an issue with the screen and could see it clearly.

Just in case you weren't aware, I'm not the most careful person on earth but I did not have to worry about this baby because it was built with machined aluminium, carbon fiber and the screen uses Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4! It is 10 times more scratch resistant than soda lime glass so thank God that I did not have to worry about accidentally scratching it.

Now let me show you something cool about the XPS 13 2-in-1! It's like Transformer! Being a convertible notebook, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is able to rotate its display backwards into four different positons: Tablet, Tent, Laptop and Stand. In the event that you need to get work done in pitch black darkness, its backlit keyboard will ensure that you stay productive.

Don't worry about it snapping because the XPS 13 2-in-1 is built with a premium 360-degree hinge for four, flexible positions so you can watch, work or surf the way you want.

Anytime that I did not have a table to use my laptop, I could just transform it into the tablet mode and use it as a tablet. An onscreen keyboard will appear when you are using the tablet mode so it doesn't affect my performance at all.

Sensitivity of the touchscreen was good as I was able to use the keyboard with good precision. Initially it was pretty weird typing across the glass touchscreen but after a while, I got used to it and it was a breeze.

The touch screen helps a lot when I need more precise editing because I can just zoom in for advance details and edit. After using the XPS 13 2-in-1, I felt like using a mouse was so troublesome. Just imagine using a normal mobile phone and a mobile phone with a touch screen.

For artists out there, I would recommend you get the Dell Active Pen*, with thousands of levels of pressure sensitivity at pro-level precision (2048), allows for a more natural handwriting experience, mimicking the standard pen experience up to the highest possible level. Quick response, optimized pen tip materials and palm rejection also contribute to making the pen feel that comes as close to writing on standard paper when you are taking notes or drawing.

*Pen sold seperately

So do I have to say more? If you still have no idea what to get your loved ones this Christmas and they're looking to get a new laptop, you should definitely check out the XPS 13 2-in-1. All three models are available now through Dell's online store and authorised resellers in Malaysia.

XPS 13 2-in-1 / 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7Y54 (3.2GHz) / 8GB RAM / 256GB PCIe SSD – MYR6,699
XPS 13 2-in-1 / 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7Y75 (3.6GHz) / 8GB RAM / 512GB PCIe SSD – MYR7,799
XPS 13 2-in-1 / 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7Y54 (3.2GHz) / 16GB RAM / 512GB PCIe SSD – MYR7,999

For more details visit http://www.dell.com/my/p/xps-13-9365-2-in-1-laptop/pd

Til next time,

xoxo

Miriam

The children of Pusat Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Budimas Orion (Budimas Orion Home) initiated a

Christmas Cookies Baking Project for the upcoming season of giving. The goal behind this project is

to raise funds for their future tertiary education.

The children baked three different types of cookies and will be sold to the public by The Budimas Charitable Foundation’s Office located in Jalan Ipoh and sales will begin from the 4 th of December (Monday) till stocks last.

There are a total of 76 children currently living in the Budimas Orion Home age ranging from 4 to 18

years old and 15 of the elder children were the ones that initiated this effort as they attended a 2-

month baking class sponsored by one of our donors previously. The Christmas cookies that they self-

baked and are for sale are Pineapple Tarts, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sugee Cookies which are

amongst the customary as well as local favourite during festive seasons.

Since the children that were involved in this bake sale project will soon be pursing their education in

universities or colleges, the profit from the sales will go to their personal education fund adding up

to the savings for their tertiary education. They children that were involve in the baking project

collectively decided to initiate this effort again as they did a similar project during last Hari Raya.

Previously during the Hari Raya bake sale which was their first initiative, the children donated the

profits from the cookies sale to the Red-Spot Old Folks Home situated in Seremban.

The prices and for the Christmas Cookies are as follows:

Pineapple Tarts: RM30.00 per bottle

Sugee cookies: RM30.00 per bottle

Chocolate Chips: RM20.00 per bottle

*there are 50 pieces of cookies per bottle

To purchase the cookies, kindly contact the below phone number or visit the following address:

The Budimas Charitable Foundation

Contact number: 03-6252 6336

15th Floor, 566, Jalan Ipoh,

Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, 51200 Kuala Lumpur

The Budimas Orion Home, an 18,500 sqf house located in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, stands at four

storeys high and was built to house underprivileged children and orphans. There are currently 76

children age ranging from 4 to 19 years old that are currently living together in the home which can

accommodate up to 150 children complete with 6 dormitories, dining are, study room, sick bays,

room, kitchen and a field for outdoor activities. The Orion Home is supervised by Homes Masters,

matrons and also looked after by the children themselves. The children attend local schools in

Senawang and are also exposed to other classes like martial arts, swimming and personal

development skills.

The Budimas Charitable Foundation currently supports 32 charitable homes across 8 states in

Malaysia; Selangor, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Johor, Kuantan, Sabah and Sarawak under the

Budimas Home Charity Fund (BHCF), building and operating libraries for the children of the Orang

Asli Communities via the Budimas Education Charity Fund (BECF) as well as provide breakfast to the less fortunate children in 106 schools across Malaysia.

To be a donor, kindly call 03-6252 6336 or sign up via www.budimas.org

Hi merry goers,

In this season of goodwill and giving, YTL Foundation is organising its Christmas Bazaar-Lottie’s Talent Village at Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with 54C The YTL Learning Space – a learning space offering fun, creative and engaging after-school programmes to underprivileged students aged 7 to 18 years.

The Christmas Bazaar-Lottie’s Talent Village features social enterprises focussed on skills training for underprivileged youths and will be open to the public from 10am till 10pm on 1 to 3 December 2017.

Here are some of the fun activities you can look forward to at Lottie's Talent Village this weekend.

Batik Boutique - learn how to dye customi
s
ed batik fabric
and
creat
e
a unique piece of art on
your
fabric which
you can take home as a souvenir
Supa Dupa Circus - learn how to make different types of balloons
Free Tree Society - learn techniques on plant propagation,marcotting, growing mini plants and much more
BMIC Nail Spa Saloon - learn how to apply fun and festive Folk Art designs onto hands and see demonstration of beautiful henna art
Brain Bridge for Woodwork - learn how to make a table lamp
Craft Haven - learn how to craft on wood and glass
Decoupage - learn the fun craft of decoupage, and use it to decorate your home or simply as a way to relax and release stress
Viva StarFish Project - learn how to weave nice little bags

The workshops and activities range from free to RM60 including all craft materials. New social enterprise Flow will be selling their beautiful bouquets of recycled flowers, with all proceeds from their sales going to Toy Libraries Malaysia, an NGO that sets up toy libraries for children in at-risk communities who have no access to toys and play. There will also be a designated box at the event for members of the public to donate used toys to be channelled to Toy Libraries Malaysia.

Pledge for a good cause this Christmas, and stand a chance of receiving one of 700 teddy bears which will be given out by the YTL Foundation this weekend. Ride over with Grab and enjoy RM8 off two rides to Lottie’s Talent Village at Lot 10 Kuala Lumpur just by keying in the promo code LOTTIE10.

If you would like to sign up for any of the workshops at Lottie’s Talent Village, visit http://ytlfoundation.com/lotties-talent- village/ for more information.

Til next time,

xoxo

Miriam

Hi merry goers!

Are you planning to buy a house in Malaysia? As I really start planning for my future life and settling down, getting a property to call my own is definitely at the top of the list. However with my current financial position it is definitely difficult to be able to afford it. The first thing that pops up on anyone's mind when they are planning to get a property is... Getting a House Loan.

But the thought of getting a house loan approved is stopping you from taking another step further because you have heard a lot of stories on the housing loan gets rejected by the banks or how lengthy it could be. You certainly do not want to prepare so much and finally found the right house only to get your bank loan rejected. All the hard work that you have done in researching, planning and preparing have all gone to waste. Fret not, there are some things that you could do to speed up and ensure a seamless house loan approval. There are many comprehensive guides to different types of property loans in Malaysia

Most people have the misconception that the amount the bank approves is based solely on the salary but this is not the only factor that affects your loan eligibility. This article will guide you through your actual eligibility to applying for a home loan.

1. Debt Servicing Ratio

First of all, the bank will check your debt servicing ratio (DSR) before deciding how much loan you are entitled. Do note that different banks have different ways to determine your DSR although you provide the same information to the banks.

2. Risk Profile

In addition, the bank will determine your creditworthiness based on your risk profile, which include your spending habits, job stability and etc. Your inability to pay off your bills or debts will be an important factor that deters you from securing a mortgage loan. So for those of you who always miss out on your credit card payments or your loans, this will affect your credit rating.

3. Property Value

As the properties in the property market are overpriced, banks will then need to engage with property valuators to further confirm the property that you are applying a bank loan is really worth the amount that you will be paying for. The reason for doing so is to allow the bank to resell your property and regain the money in case you are unable to pay for your bank loan.

You know those signage that you see on lamp posts or at the traffic light for auction houses? Yup, that's when you're not able to finance your loan and the bank is forced to auction off the property.

4. Margin of Finance/Maximum Loan to Value Ratio

A loan to value (LTV) ratio is a number that is used to describe the size of the loan compared to the value of property securing the loan. Banks or lenders will use the LTV ratio to understand how risky the loan is and it is also commonly used by bank to decide whether to approve the bank loan or not.

Typically, a residential housing loan will expect a 90% LTV ratio in Malaysia. However, if the applicant has more than 2 housing loans, naturally the LTV ratio for the next housing loan will be lower. In addition, LTV ratios are generally lower for foreigners as they have leser attachments in Malaysia due to the restrictions imposed.

5. Age

The period for loan repayment is commonly up to 35 years, starting from the day your loan gets approved, or until the age of 65 years old, whichever that comes first. That being said, younger applicants in their 20s will stand a higher chance of securing a house loan from the bank as compared to applicants who are already in their 60s.

6. Number of Dependents

The number of dependants that you have will affect your loan eligibility as well. For example, if you have a wife and five children, your chances of securing a bank loan will be lower as compared to applicants with a wife and two children.

7. Joint Applicant(s)

Your joint applicant(s) matter a lot when it comes to the application of housing loan. The bank will check on his or her creditworthiness before they approve the house loan. In addition, your relationship with the joint applicant(s) is taken into consieration as well. Spouse, parents, and children will naturally have lesser disputes as compared to relationships with your friends or siblings.

8. Profession

Moreover, your employment status is one of the criteria that the bank prioritises when it comes to housing loan approval. Your profession is also one of the factors that will affect your eligibility in securing a home loan. Applicants with a full time job and secured salary paying job stand a higher chance of securing a bank loan as they are deemed as more stable as compared to applicants that own a business on their own, where it is considered unstable with lesser job security and unfixed income.

9. Relationships with banks

Lastly, your relationship with the bank matters when it comes to applying for a bank loan. Loyal customers to a bank will have the added advantage when it comes to applying for bank loans. However, you do not have to worry if you are not a customer to the bank as long as you have a clean history and you are not blacklisted from any banks.

10. Bank Agreement

In conclusion, these tips will increase your eligibility when it comes to applying for a home loan. Getting your home loan approved is not as daunting as it seems to be, as long as you start preparing and planning earlier. Be sure to read through the conditions on the bank agreement before you sign the loan agreement.

Let me know if you have any other tips to share.

Til next time,

xoxo

Miriam