My Big Fat Filipino Family

My uncle died last October; unfortunately, he died in Saudi where he was working as an architect (or an engineer, I can't tell the difference) and it took us around 45 days to get him home. When he did get home, we finally were able to have his wake, and grieve properly.

Since my uncle, God rest his Soul, stayed in Saudi for so long - and they don't embalm people there - he stayed in a freezer. When he was set up for viewing, he didn't look like him at all. I guess 45 days of being frozen does that to you - so I thought, when I finally die, I don't want a viewing. I don't want people looking into my coffin and thinking how aweful the make-up is, or how I look so peaceful. I don't want people looking at me and feeling sorry for me, coz you know, I'm helpless - and dead. I want to be cremated IMMEDIATELY after I die - no kind of viewing or anything. If anyone wants a wake, then they could put my ashes in a cute little urn for viewing (blue, or marble - but has to be very tasteful and not bland and plain).

Anyway, it's a requisite for members of my family to stay in the funeraria and make bantay the remains of any dead family member (I know it sounds coño, but I don't know how else to put it!). We did it with my dada, so now, we're doing it for my uncle - my mom's eldest brother. It's also very common for the members of our extended family to visit during wakes, so I expected a big reunion, and I got it too.

As in most families, my family is full of personalities - and this is just my mom's side, I;m not very close to my dad's side, except for my grandma and tita Monina, and her two daughters Jill and Stacy. In any family, you will find the following:

• The drunk uncle - mine doesn't stop drinking until he's glowing red and speaks english like he didn't go to law school. He's also pretty rich - get this, he gave his two teenaged daughters 10,000php to go spend on a shopping spree. Of course this got my mom really riled up, she told him off for doing that, but I guess that's his way of showing he's a good father - by throwing money at his kids. Now why didn't I get parents like that? hihi!
• The womanizing uncle - of course I only found out now! hihi! But I like him, he's a great dad to his kids, and a really sweet uncle to us.
• The Cook - the aunt who can turn slush to great eats, womanizer's wife, quite scandalous - thinks she's always the boss, but bearable enough.
• The single aunts - my favorite aunts in the whole world! They're like the cool, carefree versions of my mom. One is kinda big, and eats a lot (like me! strike the kinda big!) The other is small as a chihuahua, and twice as fiesty! hihi! The former is also *involved* with a lesbian hence:
• The Lesbian aunt - another favorite, except for one thing - she talks about cars like a boy does... it's just a bit creepy. I really like her though!
• The gay Uncle... and cousin... and second cousin... and more! - Every household has a gay uncle, mine just happens to be the CEO of big company - take that all you straight sexist uncles! He was talking with drunken uncle in the family when I came out of the bathroom. Drunk uncle points at me, "Iyan, ka-baro nyo yan." I smile and head steadily out of the door, resisting the urge to call him a cheap godfather, and a sucky law school flunk-out. "Di bale, magaling naman!" saves the bossy cook; thanks but no thanks. Then of course, ou got to have gay cousins! I have several, two or three at least! hihi!

I could go on, but my eyes are pretty tired. Thing is, families in the Philippines, are alot more fun than families in the States, or in Europe. We're just a lot more bonded, despite aweful streotypes, a family is still a family.

Really sleepy now, so goodnyt!!!