Day 73: Taipei

Funeral Services
Today was the funeral for Charlotte's grandmother who died earlier in the week at the age of 93 years old.  She grew up in Shanghai, but moved to Taiwan in the 1940s during the war.  She was a Christian so the service was much more western than the Buddhist funerals which are more common in Taiwan, however there were definitely some distinct differences, especially when it came to the family.

Before services begin
We arrived and there were only family members at the service sight.  The first thing after being introduced to anyone who I had not met before was each member of the family put on a special black robe covering their clothing.  Then about 30 minutes before services were supposed to start, we were led down a hallway to where Charlotte's grandmother was and we lined up and followed as they brought her into the service room.  Once there they put her in the casket, cover her body with extra clothings and shoes for her to use in the other world, then the family stood by the casket while priests gave prayers.

From 77 Days in China part 2

The entrance to the funeral services

Service
There is not much I can really say about the service itself, as it was all in Chinese, but it seemed very similar to Western services.  Multiple people went up to give prayers, hymns were sung and Charlottes oldest uncle went up to talk.  Even though I could not understand the words, it was a very nice ceremony and it was easy to tell that everyone was touched by it.

Cremation and filling the urn
After the ceremony, the family said goodbye to all the guests that had come and then put the casket into a hearse and headed to the crematorium.  Once there the family gathered outside a large room where the casket was wheeled into and watch as the coffin was inserted into the furnace.  At this point we are told the process would take about 90 minutes.

We then went upstairs where all the families of decesed where having lunch.  Charlotte's uncle had brought lunches for everyone so we spent the time eating and talking.  I talked a lot with Charlotte's aunt about our trip and compared some of our views on China between when she went 15 years ago and our trip.  Even in those 15 years some of our experiences seemed easy compared to what it used to be like. 

After lunch the family is brought to a small room off of where the furnaces are and the remains are brought in as well as an empty urn.  The remains range in size from dust to a piece of skull 4 inches in diameter.  Each member of the family takes turns using a pair of chopsticks to take a piece of the remains and place them in the urn, starting from the feet up so the person "stands" upright.  I have to admit, even though a lot of people compliant my chopsticks skills, I was still very nervous, but luckily i did it with no problem.  After each member has done this, the workers put the rest of the remains in the urn and seal it.

From 77 Days in China part 2

Me nervous about my chopstick skills(給家人:如果覺得這張照片不適宜﹐請通知我們﹐我們可以將之拿下)

Our next stop was bringing the remains to its resting spot.  In this case Charlotte's grandmother was brought to a building on a mountain near taipei which houses urns and where Charlotte's fathers ashes are.  We put her ashes and visited Charlotte's father before leaving.

We spent the next 2 hours at Charlotte's uncles house while we waited for our dinner reservations.  I spent most of the time talking with Charlotte's uncle who spent most of his life as a captain of a boat traveling all over the world.  Once we were at dinner we had a large meal where I ate the same amount that I would have taken me over a week to eat in China.  Unfortunately I ate too much at the beginning not knowing there was more and more coming out, by the time the platter full of soft shell crabs came out I had to force myself to even eat one of them

From 77 Days in China part 2

Outside the restaurant there was a sunset that the color only occurs before and after a typhoon

From 77 Days in China part 2

Us with Charlotte's cousins

Night Market
After we got home, we met up with some of Charlottes high school friends at a night market where more eating happens, I was still full from dinner though so just got some tea and then we headed home.