Now that's the way to make an exit -

It is the last journey you will ever make - so why opt for a plain wooden coffin when you could meet your maker in a giant chilli pepper?

This story was in the Daily Mail and I loved it.  The chili pepper is the work of Ghanaian craftsman Paa Joe.   Fantasy coffins - sometimes known as proverbial coffins - have become a tradition in Ghana, where many people believe in an afterlife and regard deceased ancestors as more powerful than the living.  The shape of the caskets often reflect the individual's profession or links to certain clans.  Initially a form of art designed simply to glorify the dead, a number of the coffins which have flowed from this tradition are now regarded as masterpieces on the international stage - with Paa Joe gaining worldwide recognition in the niche field.

Paa Joe's efforts have helped to inspire Nottingham-based Crazy Coffins, which has been supplying caskets shaped like everything from football boots to bottle openers for a quarter of a century.  Crazy Coffins, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, said demand for ever more outlandish designs is growing all the time. 

I absolutely love the idea of these coffins but I can't imagine what shape I'd have made if I had the choice.  I've always thought that too much money is spent on funerals (and don't get me started on weddings ...) - especially coffins - but if you ARE going to blow vast amounts of cash, then at least you should entertain your guests along the way.  It must be like trying to decide what tattoo to get.  If I'd gotten a tattoo at age 18 or so, I'd probably be very embarrassed about it by now because my tastes then are completely different to my tastes now, and of course what was the Big Thing last century (yes, I'm that old) is the butt of jokes now.  A cell-phone shaped coffin may look good in the family photo album today but seriously, don't we all cringe a little when we look back at relatives and friends who got married in the 1970s and 80s, who thought they looked wonderful on their special day. Yes, they did, and that's what's important, but you can't help but smile now.

So ... a fish, a skateboard or a viking longboat?  What would be your choice?

For more on this story - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337381/Sharks-chillies-Just-wacky-coffins-available-wishing-make-final-journey-style.html