Breaking the ice

Astros, originally from China, was adopted by an Icelandic couple in 2004. She has been on RedNote for years and joined when few people outside of China knew about the app.

However, she lacked the courage to post anything until the "TikTok refugee" phenomenon in January 2025.

She witnessed "a spike in foreigners" swarming to the RedNote community, which encouraged her to post. She chose her two cats, Ezekiel and Lucifer, as the icebreakers. One of her posts gained 50,000 views and 8,000 likes.

She joked her post had a couple of very "bad" pictures of her cat, which quickly "blew up".

Foreign followers had a strong interest in all things about China, she discovered. "I have seen a lot of foreigners seeking validation from others and asking Chinese people questions like'am I beautiful in China?' 'do I look handsome in China?'" she said.

Astros now fills her RedNote feed with fragments of her life — the soft purring of her cat curled on a gray couch, skeins of yarn in her lap as she knits alone in a cafe, or golden sunsets spilling through the glass doors of her parents' home.

She said she hopes people feel joy from looking at her photos from Iceland. She said she tries to show "a very authentic and relaxed way" of life in her country.

Astros has always lived between the cultures of two countries. Her Chinese appearance speaks of one heritage while her language, habits and outlook reflect another.

For years, she has wrestled with the feeling that she wasn't fully either — not quite Icelandic in the eyes of some, and never Chinese enough to claim that part of herself.

But as she grew older, she stopped trying to resolve that tension. Through RedNote, she began sharing honestly, not just about her pets and hobbies, but about the beauty of existing between two cultures.

"I think the best thing to do is just reach out. Don't be afraid to post your hobbies and passions," said Astros. "There is always someone who shares the same interests as you."