A Most Unusual Funeral

[scottish-guy]

Nearly dropped my breakfast when (without reading glasses) I totally misread the bit about people "frolicking" on the sand during the cremation

[bobsaigon2]

I stand corrected. Apparently mourners gather on the beach in Bali while the corpse is set alight nearby. I am still quite sure there are no cremation parties in Thailand

[francois]

It keeps getting lower and lower. Have none of you no shame?

[whitemouse]

A new low has been reached and I didn't that was possible.But on this forum the limit for low-brow posts is, indeed, low.

I know, right! Some people have no class!

Speaking of cremation parties, it would make sense to add a suckling piglet into the fire, because once you have gone through all this trouble gathering wood, piling it in a neat huddle, why waste a perfectly good fire? Sooner or later party goers will feel hungry, and that way they could have a nice barbecued piglet, or beef, whatever. It makes sense if you think about it.

And if there happen to be some French people at the party, they could through few pigeons into the fireplace, I've heard grilled pigeon is a delicacy for French people.

I wonder if they eat seagulls, too. We have soo many seagulls in Estonia, they start yapping at 5am every morning near my balcony, very frustrating! I could easily set up a trap for seagulls, and open an export business, shipping them to France.

[cdnmatt]

Speaking of cremation parties, it would make sense to add a suckling piglet into the fire, because once you have gone through all this trouble gathering wood, piling it in a neat huddle, why waste a perfectly good fire? Sooner or later party goers will feel hungry, and that way they could have a nice barbecued piglet, or beef, whatever. It makes sense if you think about it.

And if there happen to be some French people at the party, they could through few pigeons into the fireplace, I've heard sauteed pigeon is a delicacy for French people.

You've never been to a funeral in Thailan, nor have smelled a dead body burning on charcoal before, have you?

I've only been to one funeral here, but up here at least, once the fire starts, everyone gets the hell out and goes home, a long way from where the fire is.

But yes, there's about 3 days of partying that goes on before / during the funeral. Then the day of the cremation, there's a big party at the temple with dancers, food, and everything else, before everyone says good bye to the deceased by putting cocunt water on the body with these hand made wodden brushes.

[francois]

Quite right, matt. At many Wats there is an actual crematorium but in more rural areas the cremation is on a pile of wood and, from what I have seen and read, a rather macabre experience.

[frequent]

Speaking of cremation parties, it would make sense to add a suckling piglet into the fire ...

In cannibal societies human flesh is known as "long pig", so that would seem rather appropriate whitemouse

[frequent]

You've never been to a funeral in Thailan, nor have smelled a dead body burning on charcoal before, have you?

Yes but there's a significant difference between a fresh corpse, as would be the case in a village or indeed for most Thais, and a body long dead and either desiccated or embalmed

[whitemouse]

In cannibal societies human flesh is known as "long pig", so that would seem rather appropriate whitemouse

Yep, I read that somehere, too. To each his own, I guess, who am I to judge. People who eat everything are not strictly limited to pork and pigeons at the barbeque. It's always prefreble to have choices. Adds spice to life, or something like that

[whitemouse]

Yes but there's a significant difference between a fresh corpse, as would be the case in a village or indeed for most Thais, and a body long dead and either desiccated or embalmed

What!? Are you saying they are not always fresh? Ughhh.. that's disgusting! Now I'm starting to understand Francois' displeasure with the way this is going.