My comments:

Quote Originally Posted by ShakeyX View Post
But yeh for me planning and going has slightly different meanings. - For me - not! I'm sorry of course, but doesn't it show you that languages behave differently?

If I said in English "I am going to go swimming" it hints that it is going to happen soon, - OK, in Russian: Я собираюсь поплавать (The context will show if it is going to happen in the near future (5 - 10 minutes) or later (1-2 years)).

almost immediate unless stated otherwize (I'm going to go swimming on sunday). - OK, very interesting!

And I'm planning to go swimming would mean you are making a plan, and this hints that it first needs to be planned before you end up heading in this direction.

- In Russian, you may express it directly:
" Я хочу поплавать через две-три недели" ( I'm going (planning) to swim in 2-3 weeks).

don't think thats just me. For example I might say; I'm planning on visiting France (one day in my life I want to see France)/ I'm going to visit France (it is a definite thing I've planned)...

Sorry, I do not think we ever express this difference in Russian. I had my difficult time in even understanding the difference. I'm not sure I've got it exactly.

 I dunno I'm not that good at my own language as it is :P just how I see it.

And yes I guess I understand it's just hard when trying to learn the rules so that it will crossover to other examples. But I guess svoih could be genitive and druzyej could be dative and it makes just as much sense as both dative!