It’s pretty obvious that Star Search 2019 finalist Gini Chang isn’t used to wearing high heels.

“Wow, I haven’t worn heels so high since Star Search!” the 25-year-old, who also goes by Chang Hio Cheng, giggles as she trips over her heels during the imaging session of her virgin drama, All Around You.

But something tells us she'll get the hang of it real soon.

In All Around You, which will be shown on both Ch 8 and Toggle, Gini plays a misunderstood, scandal-ridden diva. The show stars Star Search 2019 champ Zhang Zetong as its lead while the rest of the Top 12 from the talent competition will have minor roles.

“Stop smiling! Be cool! You’re an Ah Jie!” the director reminds Gini from across the room as she gets into character for the photographer. But that's proving to be a little tricky for the newbie who's all sugar and spice and everything nice.

“Hey! It’s great to see you again!” Gini grins as she sits down with 8days.sg for a chat after her imaging sesh. It's nice seeing the chatty Macau native again, after all there was talk that the Star Search hot fave would return home for good after failing to get placed in the finals. At that time, only the three winners were going to be offered Mediacorp contracts, but then, in an unprecedented move, all 12 finalists were offered contracts.

And so now, Gini is here to stay. And for good reason. If you’ve read our previous interviews with the fresh-faced starlet, you’d know that she had quit her job as a primary school teacher after getting scouted by Vivian Lai to join the competition while she was hanging out at Orchard Road during her holiday here.

But before she embarks on a career in showbiz, there were some things she had to do first.

“I just came back from visiting my family back in Macau and I also went on a trip to Taiwan with my friends,” Gini tells us. “I think I’m gonna miss the food back home! And of course, my family and friends. It's hard to find Portuguese food here, so when I went home, I ate everything!”

8 DAYS: We hope you ate your fill of Portuguese food 'cos you’re gonna be here for quite some time right?
GINI CHANG: (Laughs) Yes! For two years, at least. It all happened so suddenly and I had to ask my landlord to keep my room for me while I rushed to settle everything! (Laughs)

How prepared are you to move your entire life over?
Actually, I didn’t think too much about how my life would pan out if I were to move here. (Laughs) When I first received the offer, I had already packed up and was ready to move back to Macau. I even booked a one-way ticket, so everything came as a surprise. So I unpacked everything again. (Laughs) I figured that it was the best time for me to sign the contract if I wanted to continue in showbiz.

How much stuff did you bring over from Macau?
I only brought some stuff when I first moved here for the competition, and I realised that it was enough. I’m living quite comfortably now so I didn’t feel the need to bring my entire room to Singapore. (Laughs)

What was your biggest concern about moving to Singapore?
My biggest concern is my parents. I was afraid that they wouldn’t approve of me doing this. However, I managed to convince them when I went home. After I assured them that I’ve got my lodging and future sorted out, they became pretty supportive. So I guess I don’t have anything to worry about!

What was your family’s reaction when you told them that you're going to be an actress?
They were there at the finals and they saw how passionate I was. They encouraged me to pursue this line too and told me that since I’ve decided to do this, I’d better work hard! (Laughs) But they’re just worried that I would get bullied ‘cos I have no relatives here who could help me if I were to run into trouble.

Do you think you’ll get bullied?
I don’t think I’ll have a problem with that ‘cos I have work experience and I believe that I’m old enough to manage things on my own. Anyway, even if I do face hurdles, I’ll treat it as a learning experience.

What are some difficulties you’ve faced since coming to Singapore?
It’s mostly just lifestyle adjustment issues. The most confusing thing about Singapore is your street names! Sometimes when I take a cab, I don’t know how to tell the driver where to drop me. (Laughs) So I think I need to spend some time and effort familiarising myself with the roads here. Other than that, there’s no problem.

Photos: Aik Chen/ 8days.sg and Mediacorp Photo Unit

All Around You is available on demand for free on Toggle from Feb 28, 2020 and premieres Mar 2, 2020, 9pm on Ch 8 .