Brazil is in many ways the opposite of Sweden (as with America, this is just speculations) for good or bad. The weather is better (in Brazil)
. The country is larger <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />. There is bigger gaps between rich and poor <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />. The country is more corrupted <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />. Pepole are more social <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />. The menatlity is more of a Manjana (Spanish for tomorrow, don't know how to spell it)mentality <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />. The good thing with that is that pepole are more relaxed and more spontanious (in Sweden we like to plan basicly everythin on the millisecond). But, they have trouble coming on time (which I see as disrespecting other human beings, since I'm raced that way).
The reason why this thread has become so big (I think) is because it's a subject that everybody knows (or think they know) something about. And it has allso developed from a post about americabnization of the Swedish society to a... where are we now? I think we talked about language.
And just to share my oppinion about the German language (with the risk of ending up unpopular, since a whole lot of pepole like it) I don't think there is anything beutifull about it at all (generally speaking). Since I'm Swede (a whole lot comes back to that, doesn't it. That's because where you come from is important in many aspects, probably one of the most important aspects in your development) I speak Swedish, and Swedish finnished second on a list of Europes most beutifull language, determined by experts. (This is a very subjective (or is it objective? Can't seem to remember which of those meaning what. I think subjective means personal though (sort of)) thing, but if anything, it means Swedish IS a very beutifull language, gennerally speaking.) (And if I'm never proud of this on other occations, I'm proud of it now. I don't see myself as a nationalist, but I've got a feeling that deep inside we all are. Maybe not much, but still, a little), and German and Swedish is very simillar to eachother (in some aspects, words for example). And because I'm Swede (I'm repeating myself, yes but this thing is complicated to read), I grew up with Swedish (who once again, is one of Europes most beutifull languages (as a Swede, I think that's worth repeating <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />))I'm used to Swedish. That's the way it's supposed to be (according to me, since I grew up with it). And then we compare it to German, who is simmiular, in some aspects, and different in some. In this case, the key thing is the sound of the language (ie how they put words together, what kind of sound they put them together of, so basiclly how they sound, not counting what they mean). And the keydifference here is that German uses much more (don't know the name of the sound in english) S-sounds (and the realtives, sch, sh and that kind of sounds. Pepole who don't know what German sound like probably have no idea what I'm rambling about). This makes it sound more... sharp (in lack of better words). This is the main reason, but there are other's as well why I think German is an ugly language (if ugly is the right word). Since it's simillar to Swedish, I compare it with Swedish, and find Swedish more beutifull => German is an ugly language. And of chorse, I tried to lern it in four years (in vain. SO MUCH GRAMMAR.), which didn't help.
And last, but not least, I have the same wish as Luc: I wish I new all languages from the past, present and future by heart. And if not all languages, at least I wish I was as goot at English as I was at Swedish (since I'm good at Swedish).
Übereil
