PINOY WAKE IN THE U.S.

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

One of my wife's co-worker died. My wife said we have to attend the wake. In the state the wake is only for an x-amount of hours, then the funeral home will be closed and everybody goes back to their respective homes.

There is this particular funeral home, that has been the favorite of Pinoy families, to ask for their mortuary services.The owner is an Italian family and they got used to Pinoys bringing food and feeding those who comes to the funeral home and attend s the wake. The funeral director, was telling me, he decided to widen the coffee room, since he gets plenty of clientele from the Pilipino community in the greater Chicagoland area.

After sitting with the family of the departed and sharing their remembrance of the deceased, we were invited to the coffee room and share some snacks and light meals. So off to the coffee room.

When I entered the coffee room, I was surprised and shock-- it was like a fiesta with all the food that was on the table and they even have the food warmer on each type of food that they are serving. Getting closer to the food server, I noticed that the food that they are serving are....Dinuguan Bituka, Papaetan,(another animal entrails) and of course, one of the relative is boasting her Chicharon Bulaklak. Of course there were also Puto,other Kakanin, Sotanghon and the unforgettable Fruit Salad.

Pero Auntie Patti Koh...... I really cannot eat any INTERNAL ORGAN in a coffee room inside a funeral home.

Am I too much?