Balajian = belachan. Yes, the same one from your sambal and here is where tons of this type of tiny shrimp is caught, produced and packed in gunny sacks—most of which are to be exported to Thailand.

Fun fact:Belachan is actually a block of brownish paste made from a type of tiny shrimp that's mixed with salt, and then fermented.

Many ppl know about Pulau Ketam
and Bagan Sungai Lima is the island just next to it! We're a fishing village that's a lot smaller but it's not as commercialised yet so it has a lot of raw beauty. Most of the villagers are Hokkien lang. According to my Mum, thousands of people fled from China to Sungai Lima during World War 2. They started building houses on stilts and eventually more people arrived.

A typical breakfast meal on the island, the nasi lemak has a bit of everything; from small prawns to baby clams to strips of meat. Pour the curry broth on top for additional 'kick'!

While KL is fascinated with brown sugar bubble tea, Bagan Sungai Lima traditionally makes brown sugar cake. We can only describe it being similar to ma lai goh (Malay sponge cake) but dotted with brown sugar patches. Fluffy, light and sweet.

To get to Bagan Sungai Lima,
you need to take a boat from Port Klang but there are only two to three boats going there, and coming back, in a day. 10.30am is the last boat to get there and 5.30pm is the last boat to come back to Port Klang. There are a lot of boats going to Pulau Ketam but actually, the boats do need to pass by my kampung first (laughs).

Bagan Sungai Lima is, first and foremost, a fishing village—though there are plenty of interesting sites and attractions to see as well. While you're there, why not check out the behind-the-scenes of the local fishing industry?

It all started as a hobby. After seeing
Mun Keat's photographs, I decided to join his wedding photography workshop. I bought myself a DSLR, I took pictures of everything, and eventually started shooting for my friends' weddings. I was doing it part-time until one day, my sifu, Mun Keat asked me if I've ever thought of doing it fulltime. I struggled with that question for a whole year before finally taking the leap! It was tough because it doesn't provide a stable income at the beginning but I got to know more friends from the wedding industry and slowly built my name.

One of the best things to do there is riding a boat out to look for eagles. There's a lot of them there and if you're lucky, your boat Captain might even bring food along to feed them and attract their attention.

This job has given me a lot of chances to explore the world and meet people. It has also taught me to be present, love life and stop complaining; and just take the next step. Just keep doing what you love—life is short. Love what you do; do what you love. That is everything.