Thursday, November 27, 2008

e-burol

I don't like going to wakes. It is depressing and there is something about the sweet scent of flowers that put me off. Then there is the lighting, the incandescent bulbs make the beige floors look even more jaundiced. And the music. Gary V crooning "they don't knowwww...." became a staple right after Rico Yan passed away. So when I heard about e-burol, i wondered to myself if there was also someone out there who disliked wakes as much as I did.

Turns out its the total opposite. The guys and gals over at St. Peter Life Plans developed the e-burol service primarily for the overseas workers or those in the provinces who cannot come to the wake to see off their loved ones. They hooked web cams within their chapels where the wakes are held and they stream the footage over the internet to be viewed in a secure website.

I can imagine why this type of service would be appealing to the cash-strapped mourner... but i can't help but wonder just how accessible it really is. Is internet access cheap enough for an e-mourner? The neighborhood web cafe might be a cheaper alternative but then the quality and privacy of the experience would be seriously compromised (as if e-burol isn't cold enough). And what of mourning hours? will the net cafe really let you join the wake in the wee hours of the morning? I also wonder if the service can be extended to having a video conference between the ones actually in the wake and those viewing it online. Will the website come with a writeup about how the deceased died? Can they choose their own background music? Can you make abuloy via paypal?

And last but certainly not the least, paano na yung kape?

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