Hayley Woo annoyed by people who live-streamed her eating

Hayley Woo is not afraid of being recognised in public, but one word of warning to fans: don't ever take videos of her eating.

Not that it would be considered remotely acceptable behaviour under any circumstances.

The actress appeared noticeably irate when recounting the incident on an episode of Real or Not?!, where she described how fellow diners at a hotpot restaurant "took IG (Instagram) Live videos of me eating".

"They were obviously pointing the camera at me. So when I left I just looked at them, and I didn't say anything, but I went out and then I saw the [reflection], they were obviously doing a 'live'. I was just very angry lah."

Lest it be mistaken, Hayley is far from wary about being seen in public.

Most local stars we know drive or take taxis in an effort to stay incognito, but don't be surprised if you catch a glimpse of Hayley out and about on buses or trains.

And while commuters sometimes do recognise her, Hayley lamented that they normally "won't try to take photos with me, they'll try to take photos of me".

"There are those who will take a photo secretly," said Hayley, "but I know they're taking, then when I look at them they'll just [pretend to look away]."

She added: "I don't know, I think generally Singaporeans are very shy, unless I'm overseas, like a Malaysian fan will come up to you to take a photo because they think it's a rare opportunity, but in Singapore they just point at you."

To while away her time when travelling, the avid gamer would usually play games such as Mobile Legends or PUBG on her phone, or just "stare into space".

So what makes Hayley such an avid user of Singapore's public transport?

"With so many [MRT] stations available it's very easily accessible, and you can save money," she said.

KEEPING TRANSPORT FARES AFFORDABLE FOR ALL SINGAPOREANS

Although the cost of public transport remains a bread-and-butter issue close to the hearts of many Singaporeans, there are Government subsidies to ensure that Singapore's transport system is accessible and affordable for everyone.

Currently "more than one in two Singaporeans enjoy concessionary fares on our public transport system", according to Public Transport Council chairman Richard Magnus.

There are concessions for students (including polytechnic and diploma students), lower-income groups, and the elderly. Discounts for lower-wage workers on the Workfare Transport Concession Scheme have also been raised from 20 per cent to 25 per cent, while one in five households is eligible for Public Transport Vouchers worth $30.

Lower cost aside, convenience is also a factor for Hayley when it comes to choosing to ride our public transport system. In fact, taking the MRT is a mode of transport Hayley prefers over buses for their connectivity, speed and accessibility. That could be due to the 200 trains added to the network since 2012, along with 1,000 buses.

With the construction of the North South Corridor — linking the north and south of Singapore — to be completed around 2026, travel times are also expected to be cut by up to 15 minutes for bus passengers.

HAYLEY OR JAYLEY?

By the looks of it, this is one girl who's definitely not high-maintenance. But for some reason, people seem to have the impression that Hayley is "a BMW driver", based on an informal poll we conducted.

Could it be a case of mistaken identity? After all, her twin sister Jayley is the one who drives more often.

Describing their preferred mode of transport as one of the differences between them, Hayley didn't deny that despite her talents — she sings, acts and vlogs — she is probably most well-known for being Jayley's sister.

But it's not something she's bothered by.

"Because my sister is also in this line, so everybody knows the Woo twins are around," said Hayley.

The "Woo twins" may be a cute moniker, but if you follow them on social media, the pair identify themselves with the very millennial hashtag, #JayontheHay.

Interestingly enough, people often think Jayley is the older twin (she's actually younger by five minutes).

Said Hayley cheekily: "A lot of people think that she's the older one because she's more cao lao (Hokkien for someone who looks older than they are)."

Personality-wise, the twins couldn't be more different, with Hayley more introverted.

"I feel that my sister is more of a social butterfly compared to me. I need time to warm up to people, so I don't really like going to events or parties. I just like to stay in one corner and chill with my friends, very awkward."

JOURNEY FROM THE WEST

Being a homebody also means Hayley doesn't often go out, but when she does, she makes sure to plan her route carefully, and Orchard is where she heads to most for her errands.

One thing that Hayley definitely looks forward to is more train lines in the future. "I think it's even better for us to have even more lines. It means that we can travel to a lot of places in a short time."

Living in Jurong with her parents and sister means that with the Cross Island Line coming up in the near future, travelling across the island will save Hayley even more time — not that she's complaining about her current situation.

"For example, I live in the west area and today I needed to get to Tampines. It took me like, what, 45 minutes?" said Hayley of the MRT's speed and convenience.

And while the nearest train station to her home might just be a 20-minute walk away, by 2030 it is expected that eight in 10 households would be within a 10-minute walk of one. An additional 24 stations under the Jurong Region Line are also expected to greatly enhance connectivity in the west, providing smoother commutes across the island.

She added: "And [you] don't have to wait so long, even during peak hours you can just travel."

A flexible schedule which allows her to plan her time means Hayley doesn't need to experience much peak-hour traffic. It would also mean that she could take advantage of the morning pre-peak travel discounts, which has benefitted more than 336,000 commuters daily since 2017.

Hayley is thankful that she has never experienced a train delay. Compared to before, the MRT network now experiences less than one delay per week lasting more than five minutes. This is seven times more efficient than in 2015, according to the Land Transport Authority, making our public transport network more reliable.

TO BE A GOOD ACTRESS

Despite not being as sociable or outgoing as her sister, Hayley shares with her twin the determination to work on their craft.

"I think we both want to become really good actresses. I always say she can act better than me, I can sing better than her. We both enjoy singing a lot, but ultimately we want to be good actresses," shared Hayley.

The actress recently returned from a stint in Shanghai where she took up acting courses. While there, she observed the intricacies of the Chinese entertainment business, which she described as an "eye-opening experience".

"The way they handle stuff and business-wise, I learnt a lot, and I also realised it's really not that easy [to succeed there]. You really need a good reputation and company to back you up, then you can do that, if not it's really very hard," she revealed.

While in Shanghai, Hayley even assimilated and cycled to school every day.

"But it's very near, otherwise I'll also be afraid," said Hayley.

"Anywhere in China there's always a cycling track, even on the main road. Sometimes [it's] a little bit dangerous, but okay lah... I mean it's one horde of people riding together, so it's fine."

It's a practice that Hayley would consider taking up in Singapore as well, with plans to increase cycling paths to 1,000km island-wide. So far, more than 440km of cycling paths have already been constructed.

So yes, Crazy Rich Asian she is not, although Hayley has acted as a child from a rich family "a few times before already".

The gutsy actress also wouldn't mind putting on weight for a part, a la Hong Kong actress Myolie Wu in the TVB series To Grow With Love. "I love eating... I don't mind. After that I will just find a slimming sponsor. [I'm] business-minded, you know?" she joked.

And who would be her ideal leading man? The actress, who's currently single, immediately piped up: "Eddie Peng, because he's tall, handsome and very hardworking."

Real or Not?! is a six-part talk show featuring celebrities discussing their experiences with issues of the day. Hayley Woo is the guest for the second episode.

candicecai@asiaone.com