Growing up as an elderly living in Yishun during the 80s, I have seen and experienced many things. One of the most memorable things would be the Yishun meme that has been circulating around the internet and social media for the past few years. Many young people nowadays are familiar with the meme but are unaware of its origin.
I will be sharing my personal stories of what I know about the Yishun meme and how it started.
The Yishun meme first came about in the 80s and was popularised by the locals who lived there. It was a term used to describe the people who lived in the neighbourhood as “siao lang” (meaning crazy in Hokkien). It was not intended to be derogatory but rather a term of endearment used among the locals to describe those who were more eccentric or outgoing in personality.
The term “siao lang” was first coined by the locals during the 80s and was used to describe people who were more daring and outgoing. These people were often seen as eccentric and were referred to as “siao lang”, as an expression of admiration for their courage and daring attitude.
At the time, Yishun was a relatively small and quiet neighbourhood. Most of the people living there were either elderly or middle-aged. It was a close-knit community and everyone knew everyone else. As such, the locals usually had a good understanding of who was “siao lang” and who was not.
The Yishun meme was born when the locals started sharing stories about their “siao lang” neighbours with each other. These stories quickly spread and soon the whole neighbourhood was talking about it. It became so popular that it even spread to the neighbouring towns and eventually the internet.
As time passed, the Yishun meme slowly gained traction and eventually became a viral phenomenon. The stories of the “siao lang” neighbours spread far and wide and soon it was being shared by people all over Singapore.