By HOWARD BELTON
January 23, 2011, 1:34am
Last week I wrote about funerals. I want to continue on the theme, but first a little light relief on weddings.
A long time ago, I spent a few days on Cheju, an island of South Korea. This was a business meeting, but Cheju is famous as a honeymoon island. Korea is not on the other side of the world, but, believe me, it is a world away in culture. The taxi drivers who took honeymoon couples on tours of the beauty spots all had cameras, and offered two tours – the 36 exposure tour and the 24 exposure tour.
Wherever you went, there were honeymoon couples queuing up to be photographed in the same perfect pose at the same perfect spot. In those days most marriages in Korea were still arranged, and the couples hardly knew each other before the day. It was perhaps no surprise that, as we sat drinking in the hotel atrium late at night we could hear doors slamming and girls crying as they ran away from their new husbands.
My biggest impression of Cheju, as we travelled around, was of tombstones. These were all in the countryside, set on beautiful hillsides, in the middle of fields. It looked like someone really cared for the dead, and ensured they would have a lovely view. Our farm in England has exactly such a hillside, which looks down to the farmhouse and towards the setting sun. You could not have a more beautiful spot in which to spend eternity. We have planted trees on the slope with the view, so that the ashes of our family can be laid beneath them. Cristina's and my tree is growing strongly, waiting for us. My father-in-law George lies with his wife under a beautiful horse chestnut tree, and every time we drive into the farm we can greet them. I think it’s lovely.
I’ve talked before about how horses rule our life. You may not approve of this, but I have to tell you that our favourite horses are buried in the same way as the people. Not under the same trees – they have trees of their own. The last time I was back in England, we lost two of our faithful old horses, who had been friends for more than 20 years. It felt very right to put their ashes side by side on our hillside, and to say goodbye to them as the sun sank towards the horizon.
Isn’t it an odd world that we live in?
Source: Manila Bulletin
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