Her strongest memories of Singapore are Clarke Quay, Orchard Road, Sentosa "and the amazing view of HDB flats every National Day, since almost every household hangs the Singapore flag outside the window".
Confused
Her multi-city lifestyle may seem glamorous but Yan admitted that it has caused much confusion - even on the set of Star Legend.
She said: "People often ask me where I'm from but I don't know how to reply.
"When I was in Singapore, people said I'm from China. When I was in Hong Kong, people there said I'm Singaporean. In the US, I'm Chinese.
"I can't seem to fit in anywhere."
In an interview with popular Taiwanese TV host Matilda Tao for the website Women, she said the globe-trotting life can be a lonely one.
She added that she is envious of people who have childhood friends and wished she had pals with whom she grew up.
Her longest friendships - of six years, to date - are with her buddies in Hong Kong.
Yan claimed she was bullied by her schoolmates in Singapore because none of her family members spoke English.
She said she was very quiet in school and would cry alone after being bullied.
"People think I look very tough, but, in my view, if I don't appear so, I would be bullied," said the singer.
She said she is a shy person, a trait she attributed to her Singaporean upbringing because students here have to "follow rules and be obedient".
"WhenI joined Star Legend, I often sat alone. People probably thought I was unapproachable."
Yan described herself as someone who is not confident and admitted she often doubted her vocal abilities.
So, getting recognition for her performances means a lot to her.
She added that she still needs to improve her singing abilities.
To take part in Star Legend, Yan postponed her studies at Boston University for half a year and moved to Taipei.
She said the constant pressure of the competition and being in a foreign country without friends and family forced her to growupquickly.
Studies less stressful
She added: "It was quite a drastic change from being a simple college student, when the stress comes almost entirely from exams andacademics."
She returned to Boston in September to resume her studies as a third-year economics major when Star Legend ended.
School, she said, is less stressful than the singing contest.
Said Yan: "Some of my friends are aware of the competition, but they don't make it a topic among us.
"It definitely feels great to dress down, carry a backpack and attend lectures.
"Everything's more down to earth and things just feel a lot less stressful...the stress from exams can't compare with that from the competition."
Despite her growing popularity - she has around 115,000 fans following her on Facebook - Yan has no intention of giving up her studies to pursue a career in music.
"I love school. I personally think that the four years of college are going to be the best years of my life," she said, adding that what she can learn from school and her peers is priceless.
She has no plans to release an album and hasn't thought about what she would do after graduation, choosing instead to take things as theycome.
"I'm starting to think that planning way ahead of time may not be the best move since my plans will never catch up with how fast things around me keep changing."
