My kid is in France learning how to become a Brazilian, calling soccer "football" and complaining...

[NNadir]

...about the "dirty tactics" the Swiss used against Brazil in the World Cup.

He shares his office in the lab with four Brazilians, who he says, speak a language that sort of is to Spanish what German is to English.

The Brazilians, he says, are "just like Americans."

After work, his new friends invite him to play "football."

Some day, he says, he'd like to spend time learning Portuguese.

Should I be concerned?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Only if he tries the food-- if they have rodizio over there he's lost.

[flor-de-jasmim]

2. No, Portuguese is a great language!

And Brazilians are not really "just" like Americans, but learning to value other cultures should not be a concern.

[NNadir]

3. Well, he says, "compared to the French." He likes the French, speaks French, but he's...

...mostly involved with the Brazilians.

He's very impressed with how welcoming everyone in the French lab in which he's working have been.

I'm happy for him, because I've been in labs that were not really warm and fuzzy places.

And I know that Brazilians are not really "like Americans." They don't put children in cages for one thing.

[bluecollar2]

4. Not really.

He is obviously a very discerning young man.

He should however be rooting for England so there is some room for concern.

[NNadir]

5. He's in France. It may be against the law to root for England. If I recall correctly...

...there was a period in France where it was against the law to use "Le Weekend" on television and radio when there was "Fin de Semaine."

[eppur_se_muova]

6. "Some day" ? He's got an unparalleled opportunity now ! ;D

Although I can understand he's probably *just a little* busy, and maybe more focused on French. Lucky kid.

[NNadir]

7. He is very, very, very lucky.

He's made good friends among the Brazilian graduate students, and hopefully will stay in touch.

His French, while he was a little insecure about it when he arrived in France, is now good enough that he prefers that French speakers with very heavy accents in English speak to him in French since he can understand them better.

He's keeping his journal in French for the remainder of the trip.

I'm his father - and I can't help bragging more than a little - but this kid is impressive. His scientific conversations with me I can see are already at a high level.

He just completed his first year of college, and there are many things he talks about that are beyond me already. I'm trying to keep up.

When he told me that he wanted to learn Portuguese, I just said, "I expected that."

He already speaks English, French, passable Spanish, passable written and spoken Chinese, a little Russian, and a smattering of Italian.

He's 19.

He says, however, that he worries that people think he's smarter than he actually is.

Go figure.