5/27/2005 2:03:27 PM - This is an interesting one. I was walking along Queen's St. with John. He pointed out all of the cardboard and paper objects hanging above us. There were laptop computers, tea sets, microwaves, pianos, money, vanity sets, canned [paper] food, sandwich makers, copy machines and stereos. Many people in Southern Chinese believe that when one or both of their parents die, they will go to hell. It is not because Southern Chinese parents are bad or that their children tell them to go to hell, heaven is reserved only for gods. If the parents were good during their stay on earth, they will not spend very long in hell until they are reincarnated. They still need to be comfortable, however, so the children will provide paper fax machines so the parents can, presumably, continue to work and send/receive inter-purgatory faxes. My friend at work, Angel, explained that many children will burn pictures of beautiful young women for their father, as that is what they really want and need. I asked if the gay fathers would get pictures of beautiful young men burned for them. She laughed. I didn't - burning pictures of handsome young men for your dead gay father is hardly a laughing matter.