OneL, Weens, Mamalisa and I went down to Chinatown for a dim sum lunch on Thursday. We've been trying to find a day when we weren't all too busy for almost two years. It takes about 15 minutes to get downtown from Toluca Lake if the traffic's good, but one can never really count on that. Finally made it back to the Golden Dragon.
On our way out, some one suggested that I take a photo of the 4 1/2 foot tall happy Buddha in the lobby. (He looks a lot like the white porcelain one in my yard at home.) Later, Weens pointed out that the minute or so we spent doing that put us in exactly the right place at the right time a few seconds later.
We walked from the dim restaurant onto the bright street. I paused to snap another photo, thinking that this guy, who sits atop the Phoenix Bakery--reminded me of a Chinese Big Boy.
We started moving toward the parking lot when a woman in her sixties cried out for help, "Catch her!" An elderly woman, presumably her mother, was collapsing right there on the street. Mamalisa was quick and caught her under the arms. All of us were trying to support the tiny woman, but even her slight 90 or so pounds was difficult as she was completely slack.
The daughter asked for a chair, so I ran back into the restaurant, grabbed a chair, and said to the hostess, "I'm taking this outside. Someone's in trouble." She followed me out and offered to call 911. The daughter explained that they'd just come from the doctor, and her mother just needed a few minutes.
If I were a better photographer--but maybe less of a person--I would have snapped a shot of the woman sitting in the ornate chair on the sidewalk.
Weens suggested that the moment we spent with the Buddha changed our timing in a positive way.
