SHE LEFT her hometown in Ipoh to chase her dream of flying the friendly skies as a Singapore Girl.

The money is good, she was told.

But Malaysian model Christy Yow was dropped after the first round of interviews with Singapore Airlines, she told The New Paper on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Christy, 23, eventually got to lead the jetset lifestyle she yearned for - but not as a stewardess.

Since she shot to fame as a brand ambassador for Crocodile apparel in 2007, she has gone to places like London and Ho Chi Minh City for photo shoots.

She has also been on the covers and lifestyle sections of regional magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue in Korea and Taiwan.

Her star seems to be rising after she was invited to sing the theme song in a local movie, as well as appear on a celebrity game show in Hong Kong this year.

So what went wrong at her SIA interview last year?

Recalled the 1.68m tall model: 'I was asked to introduce myself. I just said that I am a model and I would like to fly for SIA. Maybe I wasn't too outspoken, that's why I failed the first round of interviews.'

Now, she just lets her looks do the talking, like when she appeared on the cover of FHM Singapore's last December issue.

Her rise in the regional modelling scene has got her noticed in entertainment circles.

She was recently invited to appear in Hong Kong TVB variety show, Super Trio Supreme, hosted by actor, comedian Eric Tsang.

She joined local celebrities Benjamin Heng and Allan Wu in the game show against Hong Kong personalities like Bosco Wong and Angela Tong.

In local blockbuster The Wedding Game, she sang the film's theme song - Our Love - together with local singer/ songwriter Hagen Tan.

Mr Lim Teck, chief operating officer of Scorpio East Pictures and an executive producer of The Wedding Game, said: 'When I met Christy, I thought, not only is she pretty and sexy, I was impressed by her intelligence and eagerness to learn.

'She has a lot of potential and the right attitude. Hence, I recommended her to be one of the six celebrities to appear in Hong Kong TVB variety show Super Trio Supreme, which was filmed here and assisted by us.'

Well-received

He added: 'Christy was well-received by the Hong Kong crew. Eric Tsang also commented that she has the potential to be groomed.'

Not bad considering she was plucked out of obscurity while studying for a broadcasting diploma course at TAR College in Kuala Lumpur.

She was talent-spotted by homegrown brand Crocodile International's former head of corporate communications Terence Ang.

Mr Ang recalled his first meeting with Christy in 2005: 'She was still schooling then. But she appeared versatile to me. She has interesting, good looks and can be groomed to be a model. With makeup, she can be transformed into different people.'

Christy started modelling part-time for Crocodile.

After she completed her broadcasting diploma course, she became the brand's official spokesman for Malaysia and Taiwan, where Crocodile had launched its ladies' collection.

Now, her schedule is so packed that The New Paper on Sunday only managed to catch up with her last month, despite trying to schedule an interview with her since last December.

Luckily, she travels regularly between Singapore and Malaysia for photo shoots and media interviews, trips she doesn't mind doing at all.

'I like Singapore because of the many snacks I can find in the supermarkets,' she said, adding that she has a sweet tooth.

'I always go to the hypermarts to buy 'Gummy Bears'.'

Maybe because of this, she finds that she has to work a little harder when she crosses the Causeway.

'In Singapore, I hit the gym when I am free, but I don't exercise in KL,' she said.

She also confessed that while she likes to club, she's quite the introvert in Singapore.

'I don't have many friends in Singapore,' said Christy, a regular at Zouk in KL.

'And I usually sleep early because I have to look good in the morning for my jobs here.'

Despite her saucy photoshoots, Christy insists that it's just an image she portrays.

'I have no problem with my (sexy) looks. But I am a simple girl who prefers to dress simply when I am not doing a photo shoot.'

She said she doesn't plan to stay in modelling if she can help it, adding: 'I would like to become a singer and record my own album one day. If that doesn't work out, I'll just keep modelling.'

What if that career eventually falters?

She said: 'I guess I could try being a Singapore Girl again.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.