What's life?

The smell of burning incense pervaded the living room, where I saw him lying peacefully on his death bed, clad in traditional Chinese costume from head to toes. Lifeless, pale and motionless but calm and serene. Death, perhaps, is a release from life's innumerable struggles.

A close relative of mine just passed away. My dad's brother-in-law, Uncle Chan. It's what forensic pathologists would call a sudden death. Myocardial infarction, I suppose. Despite my calling him a close relative, I don't think we're close at all, if not estranged, considering that we only meet on special family occasions, namely, a wedding or funeral. And now, it's gonna be his funeral.

His death triggered a wave of thoughts in my mind. What's life? I don't think many people bother about this. They live their lives the way they think is right. They do what conforms to societal norms and ought to be done. For instance, enrolling in a premier university, majoring in a favourite subject, materializing their childhood ambitions, obtaining high-paying jobs, getting married, reproducing and raising their offspring into successful individuals who repeat the entire process.

As far as I'm concerned, life is simply a series of events revolving around birth, aging, getting ill and eventually death. A universal process mankind has to experience. Unstoppable, irreversible and cruel. It transcends socioeconomic status, religious beliefs and ethnicity. None of us mortals are spared from it, be us rich or poor, gay or straight, top or bottom, white or black, handsome or ugly, with or without 6 packs.

Whatever life is, I hope mine will be filled with much joy and love. May He fortify my will to stay away from sins and accrue as many karmic merits as I can to swap for a reincarnation in heaven. (But, seriously, I can't do without gay porn. How how how?)

Well, back to Uncle Chan. May he rest in peace. Heard that my affluent aunts from KL would be coming up north to attend the funeral. My perfectionist mom is already complaining about having to make the house spotlessly clean to for the guests and, meanwhile, worried-sick about my 3-year-old nephew who's been hospitalized for recurrent tonsillitis.

As for me, I'm making a serious effort to revise as much as possible before flying back this Sunday. Professional exam. And hopefully, I can get to dine with the guy who calls me Puppy. =)