must be russian (and in 6 years time)

this week - my sunday class received the following topic for discussion.

"try to imagine your life in 5, 10 and 20 years' time".

in the second half of the class i gave them an assignment on "your ideal partner's qualities".

i always enjoy listening to them - they are a lovely group. enthusiastic, genuine, chirpy and...young, ...very young.

this time their answers came as a peculiar avalanche of hints and telling signs of the way new generations here feel, dream and think.

85% of what they said sounded totally out of tune with any of the life-as-we-know-it in the "west" - and came out as a bizarre concoction of sexism, naivety, integrity, disarming honesty, hope, great expectations and clueless feelings.

by age 33 they all imagined themselves as married and with children. for some peculiar statistical fixation - they coud not bear the idea of getting married after 26 and having children after 35 - which they firmly described as "abnormal" and "dangerous";

they all stated they wanted to make money - "to enjoy life", but also "because only then people respect you";

in 5 to 10 years time they all hope to see the end of the current (radical) government;

they would all go abroad - "even to a boring place like germany or belgium... it does not matter - as long as the salary is good";

in 20 years time - a third of them said smiling they are probably going to be dead;

all of the students explained they do not expect turkey to change - "not in 5, 10, 20, or even 50 years' time" they concluded "because here people do not think".

as to the ideal partner / ideal relationship:

all of them agreed in saying that "only famous people"

1. live together before marriage:

2. have gay relationships;

and that "only famous women with money" date younger men - something they (common / "normaaaaal people") consider awkward and funny.

"i want my future husband to be better than me. he has to know more. he has to be stronger. because only if he is better than me i can admire him" one girl explained;

all of them were very happy to say they would surely marry a foreigner, especially if:

"he is italian" the girls said.
and
"she is russian" the boys responded.

yet... best not to date a partner from a different race.

"please... no indian, no black, no chinese. and no english man" somebody stated.

apart from looking like jude law and johnny depp or jessica alba and adriana lima - they concluded the ideal partner should be:

trusting, understanding, in touch with his/her emotions and sure of what he or she wants.

"he should love me more than i love him" was an interesting take and

"he should not be too hairy" had the whole class in stitches.

i was a bit gutted nobody spoke about sense of humour; happiness or a tad of much needed wackiness.

then a student sitting at the back of the class mentioned he would really need somebody who understand his passions in life.
his line of thinking sounded very promising and i encouraged him to explain better his opinion.

he went all red and shy and mumbled -

"i love videogames sooo much... but i have no chance of finding my ideal woman.
because all girls who love videogames... are fat... with glasses... bad clothes... errr...and...yes... and a looot of acne too..."