Unique Ways of “Moving On”
People are also designing unusual funerals. Several years ago, after the death of an American man who created a popular TV series, his body was cremated, and the ashes from this cremation were sent into space to spend eternity among the stars. In Britain, there are special funerals for people who love motorcycles; one company offers “slow, fast, and very fast funerals.” In Malaysia, a group called “33 Taiping Music Band” plays music at funerals. They perform at Buddhist, Christian, or Hindu funerals. The lead singer, Chan Yoke Cheong, speaks fluent English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, so it is not surprising that he also sings in these languages. But what might be surprising is that he also perfectly sings hymns in Tamil-an Indian language he does not speak-at Hindu funerals. The band wears white shirts, black pants, ties, and large leather cowboy hats. Maybe the strangest recent funeral, however, was held in Pennsylvania, in the United States. James Henry Smith had been a huge fan of an American football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. At his funeral, the guests walked into the funeral home to find Mr. Smith’s body not in a coffin but instead in his favorite chair. The deceased was sitting there, wearing the colors of the Steelers. On a small table next to the chair were a pack of cigarettes and a can of beer. In front of him, through the funeral, a TV played a video of a Steelers game. His friends and family knew that he would approve.