April Fooled

I was April fooled! Oh no. I definitely do not saw that coming.

My colleagues and I were called for an interview as the representative for our batch. This interview was held by board of accreditation of Washington Accord, so that we would be able to work outside Malaysia. Ten of us (4 Malays, 4 Chinese and 2 Indians) were required to attend the interview at the conference room in our school (School of Chemical Engineering, USM) at 11am this morning, 1 April 2008 (Oh, how I wish I check today date first before coming). At 10 am, I woke up. Which was relatively early as it is now a study week (stay up until midnight and sleep until afternoon). There will be no classes as students are supposedly study for the upcoming final examination.

So, in the high spirit of trying to look and sound like a foreigner (the first time they visited here, the accredators were from US, Australia and Singapore), we dress formally and went to our school. Some of us even already been there as early as 10.30am. After waiting for about 10 minutes and people walking around looking staring at us, must because of our strikingly out of place attire and the fact that the only people who were at the school are cleaners (which we regretfully ignored), one of my colleague accidentally read a yellow note posted down the hallway.

The note list out all the "unlucky" students who were called for interview that was schedule TOMORROW! It originally stated today date, but was corrected by a pen and change the date to tomorrow. After some screaming and foot stomping, it finally resides in our brain that we being April fooled by our school. Well, maybe not directly by them, but we do have a wicked feeling of vandalizing our school. Thank God there are cleaners (they were laughing!) watching our entire moves.

Well, maybe it just a coincident when it happen on the day when people through out history celebrate the day by fooling others including family, friend, and enemy. Nevertheless, I still consider my mistaken date interview as one of the greatest April Fool jokes in my life. After all, by categorize it in that subject, my anger level was reduce. It only a joke man! No hard feeling!

The night before, I google the web to read about some of the outrages pranks done by others who think an April Fool day should be celebrated with a bang. Innocent people should be fooled and we should all laugh it as it's a sort of entertainment.

However, when my friend shocking us with the story of his dead (with a help from his younger brother), I know it already cross the line (or should I say, LINES?) somewhere. Fooling people with a death news is no no no funny matter. One of my friend who heard this even need to settle down on her chair and hold tight my hand. She was still in the speechless mode when that fella who pranked us jumped into the room and said, "Gotcha! You officially being pranked!".

I still can believe that we "allowed" him to walk away alive. After severe screaming that definitely damaged my hearing for couple of days, punching and hair grabbing, he just laughed it out. "With this," he said, "I just make your life easier to remember me after we gone in our separate ways." We indeed remember him till now (and several years latter, I even blog it! He must be proud).

So, where is the boundary? Or should we make boundaries at all, as intimidating people on April Fool day is consider as acceptable?

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