Declarations

STATUTORY DECLARATION

Statutory Declarations Act 1959

I, Benson Heng, of

21/72 Herston Road,
Kelvin Grove, 4059
QLD.

make the following declaration under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959:

1. I am a Citizen of Malaysia.
2. I am the sponsor for the applicant, Charlene Loo, for a Spouse visa application.
3. Charlene and I met in our final semesters at the University of Queensland. I was an engineering student and she was a student from the IT faculty. In my last semester (June 2004) I enrolled into an IT course where I met her in a computer laboratory. Although it was my first time meeting her, I was pretty much attracted to her in our first meeting. We initially started out talking regarding our assessment work on the course but soon became closer as we got to know each other better.
4.  Both of us then started to communicate more through an online chat program, MSN Messenger and ended up exchanging phone numbers through the internet. When I was in Uni, I was already working part time to support my studies and she was interested in looking for a job as well. We then started communicating much more with one another and found very comforting being in each other’s present. We then started regularly speaking on the phone, and telling each other what has happen in our daily lives. I often as well go to her college in the mornings to visit and comforted her at times of sadness.
   
5. She loves to watch ballet, and she wanted to go see a ballet performance in Brisbane. Knowing she would love to watch the performance, I bought two ballet tickets and walked the whole afternoon searching for the tickets. As a young and naïve student then, I was ignorant really on where to obtain the tickets and had to learn the hard way – searching for it in the city by asking around. I got the tickets and got my wife to go on our first date. I will always remember that day (Sept 2004) as she was excited and thrilled. Our relationship started to grow deeper and we started sharing more personal stuff and talked about her past relationship and how she felt.
6. We started going on dates and normally had our meals near the university. She is not very fond of walking, and normally prefers to have a meal nearby or so. She loves to eat the Vietnamese pork chop rice near the University and would always order the same meal everytime – even until today. She enjoys eating, as she told me that food always cheers her up.
   
7. She is really hardworking in her University days and being worried, she being hungry at night, I once bought a bowl of porridge for her from the Valley and delivering it to her at the University. I missed my bus at that time and ended up walking back home.
8. Over the next couple of weeks, I confessed to her and wished to be committed to her. However, she didn’t respond to my intentions as she was not ready for another relationship and we remained as close friends.
9. On Dec 15^th 2004, we graduated and that was the first time my wife met my mom and younger sister, Carrie. Charlene was very friendly and welcoming to them. On the 18^th Dec 2004, she came along touring the Botanical Gardens at QUT together with my family. My mom and sister liked her straight away. They think of her as a very good and well-mannered girl and enjoyed her company. At the end of the tour, she gave my mom a warm good bye hug as she was leaving that night. I was a bit sadden by it as she was not able to stay on here in Australia and would worry that it would even distant our relationship further.
10. Due to the distant, we started to communicate through the internet and phone. Being so far away with one another, we started developing our relationship to another level. She started allowing me to be in her life. We spoke on the phone every night. We emailed one another everyday. We wrote our feelings, our daily experience, our frustrations and also our future goals and expectations. We started to know one another and weirdly, the distant actually brought us closer than before. I got to know her family more, learnt about her working habits, and also personal habits such as biting her nails, listening to music while working, and dislike going out shopping.
11. The first vacation I had since I came to Australia was around Dec 2005. I went back to Malaysia and I had a wonderful time with her. It was then started our relationship more seriously to another level. We traveled to KL together and even went on a 2-3 day trip to the Genting Highland Resort with my high school friends. We then traveled together to my hometown in Ipoh (North of Malaysia) to meet my parents. She stayed with me at my parents place and we traveled even more. She and I met up also went to Penang Island to visit my grandparents. My grandparents were very pleased in meeting her and think she is a lovely girl. We then traveled to her parents place at Kelantan (East of Malaysia) and I met her parents.
    
12. In June 2006, she came to Brisbane to celebrate my birthday with me. I was very touched to what she has done and we visited places such as Sunshine Coast, Mt.Coota, Kangaroo Point and many more. In Feb 2007, I went back once again and stayed with her at KL for 2 weeks, a week at Ipoh and another week at Kelantan to visit both my parents and her parents.
13. On my last visit back in Feb 2007, we decided to tie the knot in the near future. It was that one week in Kelantan, that I proposed the suggestion to her parents. Her parents were overwhelmed with our decision and had given consent and blessings for us to be together in the future.
14. In June 2007, she came again to Brisbane for my birthday. A day before my birthday, I proposed to her on a Gondola cruise at Gold Coast with a ring. She accepted my proposal and we tied the knot on the 6^th August 2007 at the registry. It was the happiest day of my life.
15. She has been living with me since she came to Brisbane in June 2007. She normally does the cooking, cleaning and chores, whereas I dealt with the expenses, bills and also household utilities and admin matters, such as the connection of the phone, internet, house moving and etc. She is an excellent cook and would always keep the place clean whereas I would deal in resolving external household matters.
16. We initially planned to have our first child in these 2 – 3 years time, depending on our financial status. Our short term plan was initially to buy a place where we could call home and settle down. Thankfully, this plan has now just been realized.
17. I feel thankful to have met her, and I love her very much. We had gone through good and bad times together, and sometimes being distant away, we had to be really strong for one another. It has been hard for both of us, but we came through. We committed to one another and never gave up on the relationship.
    
18. As a young couple, we could have just gone our separate ways if it was too hard of a relationship, however, we chose not to and maintained our relationship till the very end. We chose to walk this route because we knew that we were both serious in this relationship and have ideals of having a family of our own in the future.

I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence under Section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.

Declared on the day of 14 September 2007.

I am 25!

On every birthday of mine (excludes when I was so young), I call dad and mom to thank them for gaving birth to me and bringing me up. Without them, I wouldn’t have this birthday. Dad, Mom, thanks so much. I love you.

I think it is true that people says when you grew elder, you don’t really care about your birthday anymore. I actually went on bed at 10 pm before my birthday comes. (I used to stay up to 12 am and wait for some precious to call). Carrie came knocking the door at 12 am. I thought what had happened to her. Had a nightmare maybe? Wanted to come to sleep with us? Hmmm…I have forgotten that it was my birthday.

So…when she came in with cake and her high-pitch singing, I then noticed it was my birthday. After birthday song and wishes making, I covered myself with blanket and straight ZzzZzz…I did not even bother about the cake. *Slack betul*

When I arose the other morning, which is on my birthday, I saw a present in the washroom. It’s my favorite perfume, Ralph Lauren – Romance. It is from Carrie. *thanking her*

I had a quite simple birthday actually. Though it was my first birthday I spent with Yoppo, we never went for a grand celebration. Having him with me this year for my birthday is one of the best presents. I actually eat vege on my birthday and so we went to Kuan Yin restaurant in Fortitude Valley to have our dinner. Food is fairly nice.

Not to my surprise, Yoppo bought me a necklace. The necklace that he bought me will go together with the pendant that my family bought me. It’s a perfect match. I will have it wore around my neck four-seasons, all the times!

My beloved sister Peng Peng and friends suddenly comes out from nowhere and appeared in my home just before my birthday ends. They were hiding in Carrie’s room and only appear after I had my bath. Peng Peng said she was representing my family to send the love and presents. How sweet of them. *Tai Sek* Muacks Muacks* My elder sister Chen Chen courier a very lovely fringe magnet for me. It has all their names on top on the magnet. You don’t know how overwhelmed, thankful and touched I felt. It is very lovely, trust me.

Also thanks for all the oversea messages that all you beautiful peoples sent me. I love you. Thanks to lai wan for the video clip you made for me and the birthday card. I like it.

And I wish you guys were here.

This is what friends are for

I messaged him and once again expressed my appreciation to him before I sleep last night. He replied a minute later and it reads,”That’s what friends are for.”

Yesterday Peng Peng and Tony came to my home and we went for a swim. This is the first time my sis Peng Peng and Tony came visit me after yoppo and I moved here. We were very excited to have them gather at our home.

When we were eating dinner, I realize that my necklace wasn’t around my neck. The love-shaped pendant, with the necklace was the gift that my family bought me on my engagement day. When I walked on the aisle on my engagement day, I wore that necklace with me. It makes me stronger to have it with me. It also makes me feel that my dad, mom, chen, jason and peng are always with me. Whenever I feel scared, discomfort or nervous, I hold my necklace because that empowers me.

By looking to pictures that we have taken, we knew that the necklace must have dropped somewhere in the swimming pool. With merely two handphone’s light, Tony found the necklace in deep side of the pool. We were very amazed because it was so dark that no one can spot a thing inside the pool.

Yoppo changed to his swimming trunk and went down to the pool. He tried to get the necklace back to me. It was very difficult for him because he is short-sighted. I know he has done his best for me. I was very touched already.

Tony was the second one who went down to the pool. After about one hour of “search and rescue”, Tony got the necklace back for me. No one else besides five of us know how hard it is to search and take a necklace in a pool at night. Maybe some actor/actress would know.

With yoppo’s acknowledgment, I gave Tony a hug and I shed into tears. I hugged peng too, of giving me such a precious necklace on my engagement day.

Tony, you might not know about this entry but Tony, thank you very much. I saw you down in the pool, trying every way to help me. I can see how hard was that and what friendship are meant for. Tony, once again thanks. Money can’t buy a friend like you.

My fist is on my heart now. Hitting it once on my heart (Hip-Hop style) and it’s for you, my good friend, Tony. ^.^

Birthday present

Today’s my beloved younger sister Peng’s birthday. We went shopping in the city yesterday and have also bought her presents. It is her 21st birthday. I am so glad that I am here to celebrate with her today. My pleasure. I love you Peng, always do. Happy birthday Peng. I wish all your dreams come true.

My birthday is coming too. Peng asked what did I want for present this year. I said a digital watch or a purse. But after some times, I did seriously think of what I want.

I want all my loved ones, my family members, my relatives, my friends, and every every every every every every everyone to take good care of themselves and live happily. If you really want to give me a present, just do that for me. I mean it. I do.