They say 2 things are certain in life - Death, and Taxes.

I've been to several funerals in my short lifetime. The first was the passing of my Great Grandmother.

I was younger then, and I remember it was just days after the new Millenium. I was back from holiday and so I called my family at the airport, only to receive news of her passing by my cousin. I went to Malacca to attend her funeral, and that, was the first time I saw a coffin in real life. Young as I was, I saw a glimpse of what was ahead of me. Aunties and cousins were crying, and it has such a weird and creepy atmosphere to it. Naturally, I was sad of her passing, but I didn't cry.

The second time, was my Grandfather's. It was again, in Malacca. Though older, I was again shocked and taken back at the prospect of a funeral. I didn't cry again, but I was really sad. My Grandfather had played chess with me, bought me Mee Pok, and talked to me when he had time to come to Singapore and visit my Grandmother. Even when I saw with my own eyes my Grandfather's coffin being pushed into that burning chamber of sorts, I didn't cry.

This time, it wasn't someone related to me by blood. He was a friend, and a classmate. Though we never talked much, but we had respect for one another, and we knew each other's existence. The news of his death came as a shock to me, I shouted out 'Fuck!' when my friend broke the news to me. I then took a moment of silence, and I recollected our moments together.

On Saturday, my gang went to his wake. After the 3 bows, I walked towards the coffin and stood beside my friend. In my heart, I said "Take care, friend.", followed by the longest minute of silence. Looking at him, I couldn't believe it was happening, and I just keep telling myself that it was all a bad dream. But it was real, he's gone, forever. I regret that I never get to know him as much as I can.

The death of my friend has the biggest impact on me, because he was someone close to me at the time of his passing. Only the other day did I saw him laughing and joking around, and now, he's just gone.

Goodbye my friend, I will never forget you.

Posted by TheLast at 11:57 PM

I knew it was too good to be true. Why am I so stupid? Why am I such a fool? Who am I kidding? You are so pretty you are out of my league.

Still, thanks for the memories.

This may sound un-typical from me, but yours truly just got lost in love. He was so stupid! He actually thinks that someone so pretty would actually fall for him! Haha! I was such a fool and such a joke.

Hopefully, Bangkok can make me forget. See you guys in four.

Posted by TheLast at 1:48 PM

It's not even about religion in the first place, it's a freaking Chinese tradition to burn burn burn during the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Anyway, it's already dying a slow and steady death. Leave it in peace and it only takes another generation for it to go away. No need for sarcasm at all.

Aug 30, 2007
Don't burn so much hell money - how about fund transfers from the living to the dead?
I AM concerned over the poor air quality during the Chinese seventh month.

I understand and respect the fact that a huge proportion of our citizens place importance in the burning of hell money as a form of respect to their ancestors and deities.

However, with the current global emphasis on saving the environment, I see a pressing need to make some suggestions.

In our mortal world, we now have credit cards, cheques and several forms of remittances (SWIFT and telegraphic transfers). I appeal to religious leaders, whose followers practise the burning of hell money, to study the implications of alternative hell fund transfers.

I see these alternatives as a win-win situation for the living and the deceased. The latter stand to receive an infinite amount of hell funds with the mere burning of say, one hell cheque or one hell credit card, thus saving a whole stack of paper from the bonfire, or the religious leaders could run a form of remittance facility. With the technological advances that we now have, I am confident that where there's a will, there's a way.

It is timely to set a good example to our younger generation to practise what we have been preaching to other nations struggling to curb the slash-and-burn method to clear jungles and forests and that is, to reduce, to reuse and to recycle.

Lai Ee Sa (Mdm)
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Posted by TheLast at 9:34 AM

while this town’s busy sleeping
all the noises died away
i walk the streets to stop my weeping
‘cause she'll never change her ways

don't fool yourself
she was heartache from the moment that you met her
my heart feels so still
as i try to find the will to forget her somehow
oh i think i've forgotten her now

her love is a rose pale and dying
dropping her petals and man i know
all full of wine the world before her
while I’m sober with no place to go

don't fool yourself
she was heartache from the moment that you met her
my heart is frozen still
as i try to find the will to forget her somehow
she's somewhere out there now

oh my tears are falling down as i try to forget
the love was a joke from the day that we met
all of the words all of her men
all of my pain when i think back to when
remember her hair as it shone in the sun
the smell of the bed when i knew what she'd done
tell yourself over and over you wont ever need her again

But don't fool yourself
she was heartache from the moment that you met her
oh my heart is frozen still
as i try to find the will to forget her somehow
she's out there somewhere now

oh
she was heartache from the day that i first met her
my heart is frozen still
as i try to find the will to forget you somehow
cause i know you're somewhere out there right now

Posted by TheLast at 2:52 PM