White Roses

Since young, I've always find it a challenge understanding why a wake needs to be held. Having grown up in a HDB environment, thereby having a fair exposure to chinese wakes only intensifies the mystery.

I can certainly recall my sentiments after a certain English/Literature lesson involving poems about death and such. I recalled telling myself and my peers that next time when it comes to my turn, regardless of my religion, please allow me to go in peace and spare me the priests and the chants, the smoke and the incense. Just give me some light jazz and white roses ...that should suffice.

As I grow up, I do hear a few varying suggestions. A funeral is not so much for the dead but for the living. To a certain extent I can imagine, the fact that your friends are there to give you the support. Still, to me, that can happen anywhere, not necessary at a wake.

So my conclusion is that a wake has to be for the dead.

But what good does it make when friends come to pay their last respects after they see the obitruary? Doesn't it make more sense if the obitruary comes on when you are still around, saying something like " To you my dear friends, I might be gone in a while. Unlike the normal obitruary, I would invite you to visit me when I am still around. Would be nice. Hope to see you. "

Think it would be hard for me to tell my parents that this is my game plan. Far too morbid and taboo I think. So thought I would share it here on the blog. At least there's some documentation of my wishes in future. However, pls do not be alarmed, this certainly does not constitute any suicidal inclination of such. Just wanted to be a control freak as per normal.

But seriously, the typical wake is too much hassle, too much noise...think going in peace should be taken literally in this sense.

So no mahjong and no big crowds, no hanging blankets and no noise please. Just give me my white roses and my favourite old school jazz. Even if a wake need to take place, pray put all my nicest pictures like an exhibition so I can be remembered in my finest moments and not that ugly IC photo yeah.