My nose is a sign of my own Hungarian roots. You can tell I'm a Kayla just by looking at me. When I lived in Rochester, PA, as a little girl everyone knew what family I belonged to by seeing my nose. Our distinctive nose is always the butt of family jokes. It's been called Romanesque or distinguished. To me, these are just polite terms for big. My schnoze is huge and I'm not afraid to admit it. I've come to terms with it's bigness and just try to avoid profile shots when someone is taking my picture. That's why you need to enjoy the one I've included. It's probably the only one you'll ever see of me.
Now, in the Western world, my nose is not usually considered a sign of my beauty. It certainly helps me stand out in a crowd but not necessarily in a way that I would want. However, in Taiwan, my nose is a constant source of fascination.
My nose is something that sticks off my face. It's long and high with an actual bridge. Most Taiwanese find this somewhat exotic. You see, folks, this is very different from the Chinese nose which is wide and flat and has no bridge (I'm sure finding glasses that fit is a challenge). Some of my students have even told me they're envious of my nose.
When someone tells me I have a big nose in the States, I am (rightfully so) insulted. When a student or even random stranger says "Da bizi(bee zi)" (big nose in Mandarin), I'm amused. I know that there is no insult intended (at least in most cases). Instead, it's more out of pure fascination. A Western nose is something interesting to them but mine is even an exaggeration of that. They just wonder why it's that way.
In one week, I had three different strangers comment on my nose. One was a teenager in a department store. She and her friends kept staring and giggling at Connie (another Ohio teacher) and I. Then, finally, one girl asked if I speak Chinese. I told them a little and they asked if we were Americans. Next, one of the girls points to my nose and says "Da bizi." Then she slowly touches it with her index finger. Her friends had a look of absolute horror and embarrassment that she just touched the American's nose. I didn't mind. It's so different that she almost didn't believe it was real.
This past week I visited Wulai, a small aboriginal village not far from Taipei. I was the only westerner in the group. We all stopped to talk with a vendor. Before, I knew it she was speaking to me in Chinese. My friend Leah began to translate for her. The woman mentioned that I had a big nose. I smiled and said yes. Then she asked Leah to ask me if it made kissing difficult for me. I told her that it's never been a problem in the past but it's been a while since I've been kissed. I have to admit that this woman's question was a legitimate one and I thought it was hilarious.
My nose isn't my only feature that draws a lot of attention from the Taiwanese. My eyes are bigger and rounder than theirs and students love to look at them. I also have long eyelashes that I come by naturally.
You should see the false eyelash section in some of the stores here. It's big business. However, despite these other differences in my features, it's always my big nose that attracts the most attention. I guess through their fascination, I'm learning to embrace this distinctive feature on me. It's what makes me, me and it's what makes me a Kayla.
