Say that you are parting ways with a friend after an evening of intelligent conversation, working together, binge drinking, whatever. In America, we say "I'll see you." In Mexico, they say "Nos vemos." Literally translated, this means roughly "we'll be seeing each other." I like that. In American English, the subject is you, the selfish article that your friend gets the pleasure of seeing sometime in the future. There is a clear delineation between you and another. The Mexican Spanish equivalent just feels so much more equal when you break it down. It's also more economical to say.
Mexican Spanish is filled with all kinds of formalities, such as addressing an unfamiliar person in the third person "Usted," or the hierarchical system of addressing those older, more experienced, or seemingly above you in both age, status and (for native Mexicans) even ethnicity with respect and dignity. There are many idioms in the language south of the border to keep very clearly defined social roles in order.
But "Nos vemos," with its equal and eagerly divided attention between friends, its warm tone and affected surety, is a phrase I can really get behind.
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