Saeeda, Nuha and I were in LA for the holidays – even though I have no affinity for Hollywood-land, I’d trade Chicago’s arctic chill for LA’s more moderate climate any day. Saeeda’s family lives here, which always gives us a place to escape to when Chicago weather makes you question your sanity in choosing that city as a home. Every time in LA however, I am confronted with something that is unique to this area, and which strengthens my desire to continue living in Chicago (Saeeda will eventually make me move to LA – I just know it).
This time around, the unique experience came during a post-Christmas trip to one of the swankiest malls in the area – the Costa Mesa mall in Orange County (“the OC” of television fame). I’d visited this mall with Saeeda before, but the current state of the economy had me curious. Would we continue to see hustle and bustle at a mall that boasted high-end designer stores for all ages? Would stores and food courts still be crowded? The answer, as it became abundantly clear while spending 30 minutes looking for a parking spot, was yes – there were crowds galore, seemingly thumbing their noses at the idea of a recession.
[As an aside, trying to find a parking spot in an LA mall is a little like going on safari in the South African savannah. The person riding shotgun acts as a tracker, sniffing out signs of people leaving the mall, then making sure that the driver stays locked on this prey as it tries to locate its own vehicle. The driver must prowl slowly, making sure not to spook the prey by revving the engine too much, but always matching the prey’s speed. It is also the driver’s responsibility to conduct outflanking maneuvers to effectively block other circling predators from staking a claim on the hunted. The thrill of finally pulling into a spot cannot be much different than sinking one’s fangs into fresh kill]
As Saeeda and I finally walked towards the mall entrance, I was struck by a beautiful site. In front of us was a serene waterfall in a large plaza flanked by dark walls of granite. The cascading water collected gently into an infinity pool that lay bounded by simple benches shaded by planted trees. The collecting water then made its journey to a single water channel that dipped and turned its way out of sight, leaving only its gentle murmuring behind. The sense of peace was palpable, as was made obvious by the number of people sitting around the reflecting pool, silently contemplating life’s meaning.
“What’s this memorial for Saeeda?” I asked. Such a monument made perfect sense for a community poignantly trying to remember fallen heroes. I could not however, think of the sad tragedy that had to have occurred in Costa Mesa that would require such a monument.
“It’s not a memorial,” replied Saeeda as we walked into the mall. “It’s for shoppers when they get tired.”
Only in LA.
This time around, the unique experience came during a post-Christmas trip to one of the swankiest malls in the area – the Costa Mesa mall in Orange County (“the OC” of television fame). I’d visited this mall with Saeeda before, but the current state of the economy had me curious. Would we continue to see hustle and bustle at a mall that boasted high-end designer stores for all ages? Would stores and food courts still be crowded? The answer, as it became abundantly clear while spending 30 minutes looking for a parking spot, was yes – there were crowds galore, seemingly thumbing their noses at the idea of a recession.
[As an aside, trying to find a parking spot in an LA mall is a little like going on safari in the South African savannah. The person riding shotgun acts as a tracker, sniffing out signs of people leaving the mall, then making sure that the driver stays locked on this prey as it tries to locate its own vehicle. The driver must prowl slowly, making sure not to spook the prey by revving the engine too much, but always matching the prey’s speed. It is also the driver’s responsibility to conduct outflanking maneuvers to effectively block other circling predators from staking a claim on the hunted. The thrill of finally pulling into a spot cannot be much different than sinking one’s fangs into fresh kill]
As Saeeda and I finally walked towards the mall entrance, I was struck by a beautiful site. In front of us was a serene waterfall in a large plaza flanked by dark walls of granite. The cascading water collected gently into an infinity pool that lay bounded by simple benches shaded by planted trees. The collecting water then made its journey to a single water channel that dipped and turned its way out of sight, leaving only its gentle murmuring behind. The sense of peace was palpable, as was made obvious by the number of people sitting around the reflecting pool, silently contemplating life’s meaning.
“What’s this memorial for Saeeda?” I asked. Such a monument made perfect sense for a community poignantly trying to remember fallen heroes. I could not however, think of the sad tragedy that had to have occurred in Costa Mesa that would require such a monument.
“It’s not a memorial,” replied Saeeda as we walked into the mall. “It’s for shoppers when they get tired.”
Only in LA.
if you ever tire of visiting LA, it is a balmy 11 degrees here in VA tonight...oh, and there are confederate memorials as far as the eye can see...
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