Adventures of a Vagabond

Getting “engaged” to Chloe on Facebook has created a bit of a flurry of congratulations, which is pretty awesome except for the fact it’s not true. With the intent of some kind of graceful redemption (Easter pun intended), here’s the story.

I get an e-mail from Chloe on the afternoon of April 1st.

From: Chloe Harris
Date: Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Subject: Fwd: boyfriend…

So…I kind of sent an April fool to some friends from home…and I kind of used your picture to attempt to make it more believable, because it is so cute…
please don’t hate me…I’m sorry for being racist…

I was just wondering if my friends would come out to china if i was to get engaged to a chinese guy…

see you later white mike

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Chloe Harris
Date: Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 3:21 PM
Subject: boyfriend…
To: [redacted]

Hey guys,
hope you’re well,

I’ve been meaning to tell you all for a while but I haven’t really known how to put it, and I really hope that you guys can support me in stuff that’s been going on here in China lately.

So I don’t have too much to say as I’m still not sure myself, but I met this guy a few months ago, and he is so great. We’ve prayed and talked about it and decided to give it a go and to try and make it work. Language is sometimes a problem but its working out, and there are alot of cultural differences but alot of the time i just forget about them.

So I think its going to get pretty serious pretty quickly, and I was wondering where you are at in terms of coming out to China if something were to happen in the next couple of months?

love you x

I’m pretty sure you could have heard me snort the Coke I was drinking all the way down across my office. I had to leave early to make a dinner thing and started SMS’ing Chloe from the car, which went something like…

Me: OMG on the email!!! I think I might have snorted my drink. We need to set FB status to in relationship with…

Chloe: And change my status to ‘Chloe Harris is happy’, but I don’t want people to know your name….michael is not Chinese enough!

Me: I’ll try to change it.

With the power of the iPhone, China Unicom’s 3G network, and the Freedur VPN service, 30 minutes later we ended up with this:

…which solicited a flurry of responses for Chloe.

The next morning in China, and still April 1 in most places in the world, on the suggestion of Matt Banker, we decide to up the ante a bit and go straight over to being “Engaged.”

And hells bells, the comments just start to FLOW!

Then the IMs…

Then the messages….

Thankfully, a little skepticism abounds…

But also a few takers!

Not to mention getting greeted at dinner with…

Congratulations on your engagement! …are you really engaged?

 

Chloe, on the other hand, had a few more choice statements from friends…

For those who were wondering what responses I got…

It was meant to just be a joke for people that I emailed, but seems to have got a little out of hand with facebook to the point of getting a message from my sister:

‘Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were going out with Mike Lu!’

April Fools Day is fun

Thanks to Mike for letting me be racist.

clo x

Responses:

Chloe……………are you getting to get married in a few months time?!?! xxx

but obviously, very happy for you and will be supporting you whatever happens! big love to you xx

Thanks for the email – crazy but exciting news! As long as you’re happy & feel it right God wise go for it.

Don’t quite understand the email: by serious you meaning proposal / marriage soon?! Is he Chinese / Asian?

So no big news going on your end, pretty dull stuff, nothing to report.  YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is so cool.  Couple of months? 

Marriage? In China? I need details! Why not do it in Leeds with me and Rhiane?  Aaahhhhhhhh, too many questions, what’s he like, what does he do, etc etc.

Babe, what lovely news! I’m so glad to hear you’ve met someone who you really like. I would still definitely be on for coming to China – it would be lovely to meet this chap, he must be pretty special! How did you meet? What’s he like? I want to hear all about it!

THis is SO exciting!!! Wowowowowwwwwwwee! Yay! What is his name, how do you know him, where is he from??? Tell me everything! I want to come to china and meet him. When you say serious, in what terms are we talking?! How serious??! I have no doubt I would thoroughly approve. I am so happy for you cloclo!!!

Wow I wasn´t expecting that! So how did you meet him? Tell all! You guys look very happy I was planning on going out to Chile for the summer but were you thinking about marriage? Obviously I´m really happy for you and will support you no matter as long as you know this is what you and God want.

brilliant to hear from you and crazy but exciting news! Are you thinking about marriage then if you’re asking about China availability?!

Were you thinking before you’re back in the UK in the summer as well (or guess you’re not sure..)? I would have to check with work and look at flights etc as work fluctuates on a monthly basis depending on what meetings and events I have to be around for and organise…

This is so exciting and you both look so happy together- what’s his name though?!

And then there are a couple more comments on facebook. Particularly ridiculous as it says that I am in a relationship with 吕明克。One friend wrote: ‘how do you pronounce that?’

SO. Just to set the record straight… I am NOT engaged.

Happy April Fools! =)