When I was about 7 or 8, my sister used to take me to Greenhills. I can’t remember ever relishing the experience then, but what I do remember is that Greenhills is this place where she frequent to buy good quality products at very cheap prices. There was a train, a fountain, a lagoon. The stalls are bundled up in the center, colorful then as it is now.

Ten years after, I found myself back at Greenhills, and found that it was as crowded as ever: it’s still the place people go for great bargains. Though the train wasn’t there anymore, lagoon was somewhat remodelled, and a couple more shops and stalls popped up, it’s still Greenhills. The lolos and lolas who jog and exercise around the shopping complex still convene afterwards for breakfast and conversation at McDonald’s.

After 2 years, I saw Greenhills again. Yesterday, I was surprised to see the recent ‘developments’ that popped up around the shopping complex. A block of restaurants sprung up where a parking lot was before, and though I’ve seen the multi-level parking lot before, I didn’t know it housed restaurants you’d normally see in high-end malls. Is Greenhills still the place for great bargains?

Inside, the stalls are occupying every available space, and at 10:30am on a Monday, it was far from deserted. Clothes fit for summer and winter, Rolex watches and Mont Blanc pens, Louis Vuitton and Salvatore Ferragamo; they’re all there.

Greenhills may look different now than it did back then, but in the end, it’s still the same old Greenhills we all flock into religiously come Christmas, Halloween or the long awaited payday. The only difference is, it’s much more greener now.