Cool Cat

Couldn't help but take a photo of this cool cat that I spotted yesterday.

His stance, his look, his vibe - it screams "I'm cool and can't be bothered."

That's an attitude that we should all have.

Bonito es abierto

Had to see it for myself to believe it!

Woohoo! Love, Bonito is finally open. It's just below the escalators at Greenbelt 3, same row as the Power Mac Center and across Urban Revivo.

Didn't have time to go in and check it out. But I'm definitely going to go back soon.

Goodbye Greenbelt

Unfortunately, this is not an April Fool’s Day joke.

Greenbelt 1 is officially closing it’s doors and will be demolished.

So much of my young adult to adult memories were made here.

Triple V Express, National Book Store, Cinderella, National Sports Grill, plaza Fair and Fairmart - the list goes on and on.

The structure might be gone, but the memories will definitely live on.

Thanks for the memories, Greenbelt 1.

Still the one

Nope, this isn't about that Shania Twain song.

This is about the news that came out today that Greenbelt 1 is finally closing its doors. 

Yes, the OG Greenbelt, the place where a lot of my memories were made, is finally being redeveloped. If you think about it, this was a long time coming. Compared to the Greenbelt Malls around it, particularly Greenbelt 5, it looks very dark, dreary and outdated. 

In fact, when my cousins from BCN are here, and we walk through Greenbelt, they notice the difference when we cross from Greenbelt 5 to Greenbelt 1. 

Despite that, Greenbelt 1 is still the most memorable Greenbelt for me.

As a kid, we'd go to the Coney Island branch here to get our ice cream fix. During my 1st job at Adfomratix, we'd often have lunch at Greenbelt 1. This is where the big Triple V Express used to be. Wendy's was also a go-to, and that store is still around until today.

They also had a big Cinderella store in Greenbelt 1 before. This is where I bought a Reno jacket with my 1st paycheck as a copywriter. That jacket is still with me, by the way. 

This is just some of the many, many memories that are still fresh in my mind. There's also National Sports Grill, OnStage, Greenbelt 1 Cinemas (the cheapest place to watch movies in Makati,) David's Tea House, Chili's - gosh, there are so many!

So, while it's going to be closed soon, Greenbelt will always be open in my mind and memories.