Pulling youtiao (fried dough fritters) dough is no easy task, especially for a first-timer. Just ask Ms Fiona Quah, 19, who tried it at her friend's stall in Tampines.
"I felt like I was bothering them, instead of helping. My youtiao was not up to standard and it couldn't be sold," says the third-year media and communications student at Singapore Polytechnic.
But while she may not cut it as a hawker, the budding film-maker certainly has the passion to help in other ways.
In July, she joined a competition organised by insurance comparison site GoBear for the launch of its personal loans comparison service. The contest required participants to submit a 30-second video about a dream they want to achieve.
Ms Quah was encouraged by her teacher to take part. She chose to focus on the hawker trade and her Hawker Stories video beat more than 100 entries to win the grand prize of $10,000.
With the prize money, she will continue her mission to highlight unique hawker traditions by filming more videos, she says.
"I want to focus on hawkers as I have family and friends who are hawkers and I've heard many stories from them," she adds. "There are not enough young people becoming hawkers and I want to capture this Singapore spirit, in case it really disappears one day."
The experience has also opened her eyes to the hardship faced by hawkers. She says: "At Xiang Ji Chuan Tong Youtiao, my friend's stall, the hawkers get up at 3am to prepare the dough. That's the time I go to sleep."
The parents of another friend run a drinks stall in Bukit Merah View. The environment they work in is damp and humid, says Ms Quah, who lives in Serangoon.
"Several of her father's toe nails have rotted and his feet have lesions. A lot of people don't see all this. We shouldn't take our hawkers for granted."
Tell us about a hawker you will be featuring in your upcoming videos.
My cousin's fiancee's parents run traditional kueh shop Poh Cheu Soon Kueh and Ang Ku Kueh at 127 Bukit Merah Lane 1. I don't really like kueh, but I like theirs because everything is made by hand. My favourites are the traditional and peanut ang ku kueh and abacus seeds.
What do you think of the plans to build more hawker centres?
It's good that the Government is taking measures, but I wonder who will fill the hawker centres. Not many young people are willing to put in the long hours for low income and their parents may not want them to continue their trade either.
More foreigners may end up doing the job, so there may be a change in the techniques and flavours. Then again, change could be good.
If you could run your own hawker stall, what would you sell?
Desserts. I love kueh salat and I would make it with my grandmother.