Adriana

If I don't explain my friend Adriana, I am not explaining my Shanghai experience. So in order to give you as accurate of a picture as possible, here is your run-down

I have this unique ability to attract friends that have personalities that are larger than life.  (If you attended our wedding you witnessed this first hand)  Adriana is no exception.  We first met the day after we arrived in Shanghai.  Her first words to me were "I know I look a little Guidoish but I wear these for good luck"  I was thrown off by her Jersey Shore reference but I also recognized her New York accent right away.  She then asked me how I was keeping my hair so straight in the humidity.  We were instant friends.

Adriana is quick witted, crazy smart, hilarious and always a bit inappropriate.  I love her. She speaks fluent sarcasm and has hair that makes an appearance seconds before she does, both add to her appeal. She loves peppering me with questions with topics ranging from the County Fair, to my mom's baking specialties. After spending enough time together she has begun referring to my family members and traditions like she has been a part of them.  She asks when Lynn will be making her homemade rolls or if Matt's mom will be making her chocolate cake again soon.

We like to spend time bonding while getting our hair done. One day I needed to get a hold of her for what I am sure was a very important matter.  I could not reach her on her phone so I called "The Best Hair Shop" and repeated "pungyo" (the word for friend) over and over again until somehow Adriana's voice came through on the other end.  In a city of 22 million it was remarkable to run her down like we were in Stratton.

Here are some facts about her:

-She has her students address her as "Ms. Fabulous."
-She likes to tell people her profession is a geriatric gynecologist. 
-She learns inappropriate words in Korean and uses them in random sentences when talking to her Korean students then pretends that she thought it meant something else. This entertains both her and her students endlessly.
-She has never eaten Mayo or mac n' chesse.
-She is from Manhattan.
-She went to high school with Nicci Hilton and Lady GaGa
-She thought Albany was a state
-I have to translate her Chinese to the cab drivers because they can't understand her accent
-She is 5 feet maybe 5'1.
-She does not have a driver's license
-She often uses the expression 'sexy time' in place of thank you or as a transition statement
-Her classroom is on the 4th floor so that means that she has to come to me
-She will ask me questions like: "Are there people that did not graduate from college where you live?"
-Sometimes I feel like we are from different planets but mostly we have found a mutual respect for one another's background.

She asked me to come into her high school ESOL (english as a second or other language) class to talk about growing up in rural America.  After speaking for a few minutes Adriana asks me "What part of a horse does steak come from?"  I saw on her face that she was serious and I started laughing.  I couldn't catch my breath I was laughing so hard.  All of the ESOL students just watched me because they didn't speak enought English to understand, so they had no idea what was so funny and neither did Adriana.  I think that she has it figured out now. 

One weekend in the fall we went out for lunch and came back with a brown poodle.  Adriana had never owned a pet until She-ra and for the first day she would not even touch her with her bare hands.  They have come a long way.  I was worried about how she would deal with being a new pet owner but cut to seven months later and the two of them are doing well. She-ra has changed her life and made her a dog person.

 Adriana is electric, eccentric and despite needing to be clued in to Colorado life she has proven to be a good friend and I am so happy to have her here with me.