Russia, Russian Teenagers, and a bit of naming
Unlike the abundance of Evereything You Ever Needed To Know About Japan on the internet, I'm having very little luck finding anything about everyday life in modern Russia. Most of my knowledge comes from being in Fiddler on the Roof, which is a little outdated, or playing video games, which tend to be more on the millitary side of wildy inaccurate. XD So here's a list of questions-- links or comments are more than welcome in response:
1.
Is the current poilitical climate a major concern for everyone? Are Russian teenagers usually politically active, or just aware, or could they care less?
2.
What are some staple foods and meals? Should I worry if, oh, my sixteen-year-old Russian girl is making a peanut butter and honey sammich on a multi-grain bagel, or if her twin brother is snacking on granola? What meals are considered important-- do people skip breakfast and have big lunches and dinners, or is breakfast the major meal of the day with lunch being a little thing from a snack bar?
3.
Do Russian Orthodox christians cross themselves?
4.
Are there any standards of beauty or desireableness (in men or women) that are widely-held enough to be notable? (Either modern, or as a common convention in literature-- either would be helpful, really.)
5.
Are there laws about how long a teenager has to stay in school? Is home-schooling viable, or anywhere near? Are private schools common, or only for the best off, and what about scholarships? What (in any) languages are manditory or available at a high-school level?
6.
If anyone can think of anything that might help me with writing a pair of Russian kids in Japan for a Duel Monsters tournament in the summer of 2010, one of which happens to be a Patriot spy assigned to trying to get back some of the Legacy (and treated to the same kind of training as EVA), pretend I asked about it here. XD
And last (and also kinda least), can anyone think of a hero, saint, or biblical figure that slew any monsters? I'm thinking in the lines of Saint George (and the Dragon) or David (and Goliath), though obviously I already know those two.
A million thank-yous to anyone with anything to help. ♥
1.
Is the current poilitical climate a major concern for everyone? Are Russian teenagers usually politically active, or just aware, or could they care less?
2.
What are some staple foods and meals? Should I worry if, oh, my sixteen-year-old Russian girl is making a peanut butter and honey sammich on a multi-grain bagel, or if her twin brother is snacking on granola? What meals are considered important-- do people skip breakfast and have big lunches and dinners, or is breakfast the major meal of the day with lunch being a little thing from a snack bar?
3.
Do Russian Orthodox christians cross themselves?
4.
Are there any standards of beauty or desireableness (in men or women) that are widely-held enough to be notable? (Either modern, or as a common convention in literature-- either would be helpful, really.)
5.
Are there laws about how long a teenager has to stay in school? Is home-schooling viable, or anywhere near? Are private schools common, or only for the best off, and what about scholarships? What (in any) languages are manditory or available at a high-school level?
6.
If anyone can think of anything that might help me with writing a pair of Russian kids in Japan for a Duel Monsters tournament in the summer of 2010, one of which happens to be a Patriot spy assigned to trying to get back some of the Legacy (and treated to the same kind of training as EVA), pretend I asked about it here. XD
And last (and also kinda least), can anyone think of a hero, saint, or biblical figure that slew any monsters? I'm thinking in the lines of Saint George (and the Dragon) or David (and Goliath), though obviously I already know those two.
A million thank-yous to anyone with anything to help. ♥