Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

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Hong Kong has picked up on an idea that is already gaining popularity in Japan and Europe.

Green coffins made up of corrugated cardboard are the new temporary homes of the dead…after their bodies have expired and before they go completely up in smoke.

Customers don’t often like to skimp on funeral expenses – disrespect for the dead, who could care less, because they are dead) and, well, that’s all I can think of.

Health officials say there are good reasons to consider the eco-friendly coffin.

1. Anything that starts with eco- sounds cool. Who wouldn’t want to be cremated in something cool?

2. The cremation process is speeded up to 30 minutes from the usual 2.5 hours. Lunch while you are waiting for your loved one to burn will have to be done at a fast-food joint, however.

3. The current 10-day waiting period that families of the dead have will be greatly reduced. Maybe they can get grandpa Wang out of the freezer.

4. The cardboard coffins are less toxic.

5. The eco-coffin coincides with the integration of man and nature according to Asian philosophy. I don’t remember every hearing of this. But the Bible says, the man was “created from dust and will return to dust.” The eco-coffin will allow them to get their more quickly.

What do you think?

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.