I Got April-Fooled! Did you?

[성김 대사]

This blog will not be about serious issues.  I realize there are important things happening right now: National Assembly elections in South Korea, the North’s planned missile launch, and many more.  And I am giving lots of time and attention to these issues.  But I do have a sense of humor, and I wanted to share with you what happened on April Fools’ Day.

As you may know, once a year on April Fools’ Day, people in the U.S. play tricks and jokes on each other.  We steer clear of anything that is dangerous or demeaning, but we definitely try to think of pranks that will get a good laugh.  This is especially true of employees playing jokes on their bosses.  Nowhere is this more true than in my office, where my staff played a number of jokes on me this April Fool’s Day.

This year they outdid themselves.  They got me not once, not twice, but three times!  The first two times the executive office staff got me to read some well-crafted decision memos that looked authentic and sounded genuine – except for the ridiculous content.

The pranks did not stop there.  My social media staff also proved to be a crafty bunch.  They came to my office to deliver a list of new possible questions for our next “Ask The Ambassador (ATA)” video.  The problem was, as I started looking through them, something looked a little off. 

You see, this list contained such questions as:  You look much better in person than in photos, why?  Would you go to a jjimjilbang with me?  You always look fat in photos; are you?

And it’s not just bosses who get fooled.  This year one of our officers decided to play a trick not on his immediate staff, but on the whole Embassy by creating a realistic official-looking email that was actually completely made up.  Like all great April Fools’ pranks, it walked the fine line between being plausible and absurd.

But enough about America’s April Fools and how silly my staff made me look this year.  I hear that Korea also has an April Fools’ Day, better known as 만우절 (Manujeol). 

I would like to hear some of your favorite April Fools’ Day jokes.  Let’s share them here, and try to remember, working hard and giving 100% is very important.  But please make sure you take the time to enjoy life and just laugh. J