Ok folks, today the topic is a bit controversial. Today I am talking about death and dying. First, how many of you expats here know they will have their final breath in Taiwan? Like you are committed to dying here. Secondly, how many of you expats expect to go to a nursing home here? What kind of nursing home would you choose?
Thirdly, where will you be buried or cremated? Here, or in your home country? If cremated, what will your family do with the ashes?
How morbid.
I doubt anyone is actually ‘committed’ to dying anywhere in particular, despite the fact that dying is inevitable.
Personally, I would prefer to die at home and in my sleep, as a very, very old man.
I would be prefer to be buried in a nice forest where the trees and worms and such can dig through my body and absorb the nutrients I have been lent from the world. No need for a tombstone, ugly mausoleums, or those horrendous tombs that pollute the hillsides around Taiwan.
What do you mean by ‘home country’?
If I die here, I’d want to be cremated, my ashes given to my next of kin. Cheaper than sending the body back intact.
What a terrible waste of nutrients and final contribution to global climate change. Have you ever considered mummification?
[quote=“Lt.Myron Goldman”]Ok folks, today the topic is a bit controversial. Today I am talking about death and dying. First, how many of you expats here know they will have their final breath in Taiwan? Like you are committed to dying here. Secondly, how many of you expats expect to go to a nursing home here? What kind of nursing home would you choose?
Thirdly, where will you be buried or cremated? Here, or in your home country? If cremated, what will your family do with the ashes?[/quote]
To be fair in raising this very personal topic, you should also tell us what is your death-plan?
[quote=“Charlie Phillips”][quote=“Lt.Myron Goldman”]Ok folks, today the topic is a bit controversial. Today I am talking about death and dying. First, how many of you expats here know they will have their final breath in Taiwan? Like you are committed to dying here. Secondly, how many of you expats expect to go to a nursing home here? What kind of nursing home would you choose?
Thirdly, where will you be buried or cremated? Here, or in your home country? If cremated, what will your family do with the ashes?[/quote]
To be fair in raising this very personal topic, you should also tell us what is your death-plan?[/quote]
I will not die because I am going to be cryogenic-ally frozen. I will be like those folks in Star Trek TNG from the 20th century who awoke in the 23rd century.
[quote=“Lt.Myron Goldman”][quote=“Charlie Phillips”][quote=“Lt.Myron Goldman”]Ok folks, today the topic is a bit controversial. Today I am talking about death and dying. First, how many of you expats here know they will have their final breath in Taiwan? Like you are committed to dying here. Secondly, how many of you expats expect to go to a nursing home here? What kind of nursing home would you choose?
Thirdly, where will you be buried or cremated? Here, or in your home country? If cremated, what will your family do with the ashes?[/quote]
To be fair in raising this very personal topic, you should also tell us what is your death-plan?[/quote]
I will not die because I am going to be cryogenic-ally frozen. I will be like those folks in Star Trek TNG from the 20th century who awoke in the 23rd century.[/quote]
That is a death-wish I can respect.
NOt in a hurry for sure. But i think the best is to die old enough and to just pass gently in one’s sleep to the other side. My dad wasn’t quite old enough at 67. We wished he lived in good health for much longer. But he did get a chance to put out his last cigarette and just fall asleep. But nobody was actually by his side when this happened though. I was downstairs on the computer and his wife was in her bedroom asleep. He was in the living room watching tv in the wee hours.
Or even better not die but be transformed in the Rapture (not that I am wishing we are in the End of Days though !!).
My grandfather desired that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in SAn Francisco bay. He lived to be near 100. And that is what we did.
Only thing is, and it doesn’t gross me out really. It was a rare, calm day in the bay when we did this and some of the ashes i ended up inhaling because it just was such a fine powder.
It’s a way to take just a little bit of grandpa away with me I guess.
He was a good man.
You still haven’t answered: What do you mean by ‘home country’?
I make my wishes publicly inn faint hopes they might be respected:
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Recycle all recyclables, meaning use what i won’t be using anymore as spare parts for others. if that is not possible, I give my Latino body to local science, so futire doctors will be familiarized with treating atoahs
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Once done with that, burn what’s left and spread the ashes over Bitan. yes, it is illegal. yes, I have good friends who will go teh distance for me. Anyways, no matter what, not a particle will reach the ol country.
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Insurance leaves everything to my pets. However, Toto comes with me. Bury him by my side. I am sure he will outlive me, but if not, I’ll keep his ashes on my office desk. handy.
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I will probably die at my desk as my predecessor. If I make it to old age, I hope to find a cozy old people’s home in Xindian, where I can join scores of elderly tai chi practitioners in teh park or sit there and chat with teh stray cats.
Cremated and then my ashes packed in a firework to be fired off of 101 in the New Year’s Eve fireworks.