It started from a conversation with opusculasedfera (I think that's her DW handle?) about a pic that the Oilers showed of him praying before a game. Basically, I am VERY curious about how him being Russian as North Americans think of them (as in, he comes from a member republic of the Russian republic, and speaks Russian) but how he is ethnically Tatar and Muslim. So when he got to Sarnia and Gally was there he had someone to cling to who spoke his language and alleviated his isolation, but Gally is Russian in terms of language (his dad's from what's now Belarus, I think?), but American in terms of nationalism and grew up in the US, and Europe, including cities like St. Petersburg, which is probably WILDLY different than Nail's experience growing up a city in Tatarstan. How does it inform the way they deal with the press that comes from being a hot rookie, how are the differences in language skill contributing to adjusting, how do the differences between Edm and Mtl contribute, and how do they continue to relate to each other now that they're separated by half a continent and differing experiences with their new teams?

My problem is that I am not Russian. Or Muslim. So my thinkiness is all outside-looking-in wondering, nothing informed by experience.