Rachel Marie Rommeswinkel labeled herself as a German-American vlogger who speaks Mandarin with Cantonese accent on her social media pages. She was known as “RachelR星星” on bilibili, weibo and other popular social media platforms in China, with over 1.5 million followers.
Become a KOL with millions of fans
Rachel and her younger sister Addy began to post videos about their daily life and beauty videos online while studying at Xiamen University several years ago and they attracted many young followers.
Rachel and Addy insisted on showing their real life in China. "I have always been my truest self. I would rather work harder instead of shooting videos for a publicity stunt, and this is what I am most proud of," said Rachel.
Rachel filmed videos in Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, which attracted the attention of many netizens. Her fluency in Chinese was making her famous among young Chinese, and it also gave her more job opportunities.
In 2022, Rachel was invited to participate in "Informal Talks", a cultural interview program in China with expats as the main guests. Rachel became the show's first regular female guest. She spoke from a unique female perspective in the show, "Girls should hold in their own hands the right to speak!" Rachel said in the show.
Learning Chinese in Guangdong since childhood
However, Rachel could not speak Chinese confidently in the very beginning.
Rachel has dual citizenship of German and the United States, and she grew up in China. When she was six years old, her family moved to Guangdong's Dongguan. She spent her childhood in Guangdong, learning Chinese in public schools like a local child.
In schools, Rachel learned to speak Mandarin in class and Cantonese from her peers. "I really didn't have the confidence to speak Mandarin at first. When I was a child, I once tried and mispronounced the word bank in Chinese (pinyin: yin hang) into "yin xing", and they told me the character was a heteronym," Rachel recalled an incident when she was learning Chinese in elementary school. "At that time, I felt that Chinese was difficult, and I was reluctant to speak Mandarin for a while. But I later found that I needed to speak Chinese with confidence, and now I can speak Mandarin very well." A follower of hers said that if there is a Cantonese IELTS test, Rachel can surely get an 8!
"Guangdong is my home."
Rachel moved to Guangzhou from Dongguan about two years ago. "What I like the most is that, (in Guangzhou) there is an expat community, and there is also a Chinese community that is very welcoming foreigners," she said.
Now, Rachel was used to the community life in Guangzhou. "In the morning, I will take a walk with Milo (my pet dog) by the Pearl River, and sometimes some neighbors will chat with me. There is absolutely no barrier of communication between us," Rachel said happily.
She lived her life in the city like a local. One of the restaurants in her videos was Wing Waa Lau. It was on an old street and was one of the few remaining Cantonese opera teahouses in Guangzhou. It attracted many Guangzhou locals, who like to enjoy both Cantonese opera performances and their morning tea.
"The biggest attraction of Guangdong for me is the food," she said, adding that she felt "homesick" because of the difference in food when she went on a business trip.
Rachel met her boyfriend Kelvin, a chef, in Guangzhou two years ago. Kelvin sometimes shows up in Rachel's vlog, bringing more Guangzhou elements and sweet moments to her contents. She has the plan to continue their work and love story in Guangzhou, the city she loves.
"Foreigners like me who have lived in China for 20 years at the age of 26 are relatively rare. I am actually a Cantonese, and Guangdong is my home." Rachel is already full of expectations for the future.
Producer: Hou Xiaojun
Executive producer: Zhang Chunqing
Chief planner: Zhao Yang
Production managers: Zhao Ping, Wing
Chief director: Takeuchi Ryo
Director: Xie Miaofeng
Coordinator: Olivia
Supervisors: Ou Xiaoming, Keane, Monica
Reporter: Alice
Filming crew: Alice, Abby, Takeuchi Ryo's team
Graphic designer: Lulu
