Death - a messenger of joy 2

Funeral, the Chinese way !

As all of us know, wherever there are Chinese, there are Food, Food and more Food. So in death we must not let our beloved go with a hungry stomach, so we serve (pray) them their favorite food 5 times a day. Food for the mourners, food for those who come and pay the last respect.

Another must in the Chinese funeral is cry, no, not cry...howling in a singsong way! like you have to sing : "so and so, you have gone and leave me behind, what am I going to do?" " Why are you so cruel, leaving me behind !" When it is makan time you have to sing :" it is time to eat, please come and have your makan" there are many more song but I can not remember most of it ! But I am really glad we don't have to do it again but I heard the Taiwanese are still doing it and since the mourners don't know how to sing, there is a booming business providing the singing mourners.

Oh ya, the most important thing is the dead need a guide to hell, there are many cities, rivers bridges to cross and official to bribe. So what the mourners have to do is together with the guide (we do not call them monk) we lead our beloved to their destination with bribes !

For those who have money, they will keep the body for 7 days and get entertainers to entertain those who come to pay the last respect.

I remember well my grandfather's funeral, I was in my primary school and it was so much fun ! all the cousins, aunty from all over the world were there. There was one aunty from Singapore whom we have never met in our life.(never meet her again after the funeral) She was fierce, all the time picked on us, forcing us to cry and sing but how ? we got to meet so many cousins all at once, can you imagine how excited, happy we were ! Saw Saw (pronounce as susu) is my age, she asked me to follow her, two of us had to howl as soon as she finish counting to three, the trouble was we burst out laughing!
We had the best cook in town and he was a relative, he cooked all the food we loved and there in the made do kitchen was where we love to hangout.
There were singers, dancers, free flow of liqueur and must not forget, we are Chinese, GAMBLING is a MUST !

All in all, I must say Death is a messenger of JOY