An IM Interaction Observed:

* Never give out your password or credit card number in an instant message conversation.

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Marco says:
Eric dude! You're coming back tomorrow right???

Eric says:
Hey Marco! Indeed, we are leaving tomorrow for Amsterdam... (although we won't arrive until early Wednesday morning).

Marco says:
how do you feel about leaving?

Eric says:
Unprepared...

Marco says:
in what sense?

Eric says:
That applies physically (in that we still have a lot of packing and stuff to do today)... But also emotionally... And perhaps also on other levels... It's been a really good trip... And we're still excited about our life in Amsterdam... But at the moment, it seems kind of challenging to get back into "regular" life over there.

Marco says:
I can imagine... a month is long in a sense... but also very short in another sense

Eric says:
Yeah, the month-long trip ended up having a strange effect... The first week was like a tourist... everything was beautiful and quaint and charming... I took about a million photos...

Marco says:
haha

Eric says:
The second week was like a wake-up call... and I noticed all the not-so-nice things about America... I was annoyed and disgusted and angry... I saw all the ways that Holland is "better" than America... And then, toward the end of the trip... we've slipped into a mode where everything just feels normal again... both positives and negatives...

Marco says:
(it will be the other way around when you're back here...)

Eric says:
Exactly.

Marco says:
that's bizarre

Eric says:
I guess that's what they call "culture shock."

Marco says:
yeah... man... 'culture shock' is such a cliche concept. But it is nevertheless very real everytime... even when you know in what way you're going to be 'shocked'

Eric says:
That's the crazy part about it... I should have expected it... But I didn't.

Marco says:
Yeah, I also recognize it... I know that when I deal with certain people, I'm going to be shocked by certain things they do or say... but when it happens it still has an effect.

Eric says:
We're idiots, aren't we?

Marco says:
ehm... yes we are

Eric says:
Hey, Marco, what would you think about me using this IM conversation for a blog post? I haven't posted for awhile...

Marco says:
It would be cool to post it literally... including this last sentence of me approving of you using this IM conversation

Eric says:
Yeah, that's what I was thinking... So you're up for it?

Marco says:
Do it!

Eric says:
OK. Thanks. I'd better get going...

Marco says:
ok that's cool! talk to you later

Eric says:
OK. Doei.

Marco says:
mazzelf