Wild and Sassy

Started as an exclusive park for their members only in the early 2000s, Fantasy World is like the Disneyland of the Philippines back in the days. After the management struggled financially, they finally opened it to the public. This will be more of a travel story but I will still share some tips if you'd like to go here.


This is one hour away from Tagaytay and two to three hours away from Manila (depending on the traffic situation). Not advisable to commute.

Entrance fee: 1000 pesos (regardless of how many persons). But if you'll join day tours, it will just be 100 pesos.


My Mom was a member of their association and we were here often when I was still a kid. There are shows every weekend and there are a lot of people back then even though it is an exclusive park for members. I have a lot of childhood memories here.


I went there a year ago, and yes, these photos were taken a year ago. I only had the time to post this today. Haha! Sorry!


This used to be a peacock landscape. It still has its 'feathers' but you can easily tell they don't maintain it anymore.



This was supposed to be in the unsuccessful amusement park which is supposed to be on the other part of their property. Since my Mom was a member, they toured us there and it was steep going there. So sad that they were not even used! I really don't know what happened to the management.



It is really sad that this was my happy place before but it is not maintained now. This is why other bloggers, vloggers, and influencers label it as haunted or abandoned.


And there's the famous treehouse bridge.



Even though I've aged in time, I am still scared of it! Haha. The treehouse is still the same and there were plants along with it which means they really don't maintain it anymore. However, the bridge is new. It didn't look like this before and it looks more stable now.


But among other things, Fantasy World is known for the four castles at its center. The castles can be seen from the main gate and highway.


These castles may look familiar to you. It is because of Majika. It is a teleserye aired in 2006 staring Angel Locsin and it was filmed here. I think it was Fantasy World's peak at that time.



There are no extraordinary things inside the castles but you can go inside. One castle used to be the chapel. You can buy foods and water inside the castle (photo above).


This is just a park, so do not expect anything adventurous here. It's really nice to have parks and stroll around. Although, this is far. Haha!


If you like to take photos like me, this place is definitely for you.

And by the way, I found our old photos (from different years) when we used to go here. Ahh, brings back memories! These were still taken using film cameras because digital cameras are still not a thing back in the days. Haha!



We really had a lot of memories there. We used to bring my relatives there. :)

• It is not advisable to commute going here. The jeepneys seldom pass by the area from the Boundery and it will only drop you to Fantasy World's main gate. The castle entrance is still a kilometer away from the main gate and it will be a long and tiring walk. It is uphill. Tricycles may be available but it may be pricey. And also, mas mahirap magcommute pabalik. You may join tours from travel agencies instead or magyakag ka na ng barkada :)
• If you will go here via private car, you may search it on Google maps or Waze.
• No foods are allowed inside. This is their old policy. Even water on bottles is not allowed. If you're gonna go here, make sure you already ate along the way. This place is not for picnic. You can buy water, drinks and foods inside one castle. It is pricey though.
• The weather in Batangas can really be humid especially during sunny days. Don't forget to apply your sunscreen and bring an umbrella.

Sheet masks have been part of my skincare routine for years now. I use it at least twice or thrice a week. Recently, Hayejin Cosmetics sent me their sheet masks together with a few other stuff for me to try.

Hayejin Cosmetics is a Korean cosmetics brand which is now available here in the Philippines. It is actually my first time to try their products but I've seen them on Instagram a few times already. They are dermatologically tested and FDA approved.


They gave me a few stuff but I will focus on these three sheet masks:




The packing is very simple but it looks promising. Most of the parts at the back are written in Korean except for the instructions and ingredients. It says at the back also that these sheet masks are made in Korea. The expiration date is also printed in the lowermost part.


For the masks, I was surprised to see that they are actually color-coded except for the blue one. Yes, the masks itself are colored. I saw it on the back part of the packaging but I did not believe it because most sheet masks that I have tried are in white. Haha. The sheet mask also comes with a plastic which makes the application easier.



Cuddle of Jeju Oxygen Water
Blue Vitalizing Sheet Mask

• It is white.
• It has no scent.
• It gives the glow you need.
• It is not sticky and not heavy on the face.
• It is more on the water-like texture.

Cuddle of Flowers
Pink Moisturizing Sheet Mask

• It is pink.
• It has a very minimal rose petal scent.
• It is more viscous than the blue one.
• It does make your skin moisturized.
• Its sheet mask is the thinnest among the three.

Cuddle of Tea Tree
Green Calming Sheet Mask

• It is green.
• It kinda smells like leaves or bamboo.
• It gives a cooling effect on the skin.
• It is not sticky at all.
• Tea tree is good for calming the skin.

I like it so much! It is not heavy and sticky on the face when used. I really don't like the super sticky feeling after using a sheet mask. I have sensitive skin and so far, they did not make me breakout. I like the blue one the most because it has no scent, which I prefer, and I like the glow that it gives. I also like the green one because of the cooling effect. It feels so good on the face. However, I got a bit disappointed upon looking at their page in Lazada. One sheet mask costs around 150 pesos and for a sheet mask, that's expensive af. And I think that's just the con that I see, the price. But I really like their sheet masks! <3

P.S. The products are sent to me by Hayejin Cosmetics. However, it doesn't affect my review. Please know that I always give my honest thoughts :)


Price
150 pesos/one sheet mask

Lazada Links
Blue Vitalizing Sheet Mask (LINK)
Green Calming Sheet Mask (LINK)
Pink Moisturizing Sheet Mask (LINK)

You may also buy it via their Instagram.

Gong Cha is finally now in Tagaytay! I haven't had Gong Cha in years. My last was still from college. Haha. The nearest branch to me before was in SM Dasmarinas but they always have a queue whenever I try to order.

We ordered Brown Sugar Milk Tea, and their two best sellers, Oreo Milk Tea and GC Milk Wintermelon (top best seller). I liked the GC Milk Wintermelon. No wonder why it is their best seller.

Location: First floor, Ayala Mall Serin, Tagaytay City (Near French Baker)



The line wasn't long by the time we went here but the cashier took about 10 to 15 minutes before he resumed taking orders. There was only one person in front of us. They fixed something on their part, I think. To be honest, it took us another few minutes before our orders were taken. The cashier is kinda slow but I understand that they are still adjusting because they just recently opened.

I saw some Facebook posts of my relatives and friends that it was a long queue last weekend.



P.S. Not sponsored.

Blogging back in the days is not as glamorous as it is now. It is just pure passion where we write our hearts out. And looking back, the blogosphere has changed a lot over the years.

If you are curious about how I started blogging, you might want to check my blogging story.

We know have bloggers, influencers and content creators. People always get confused with them, so let me break them down to you.

Bloggers - A blog originally came from the word “weblog” or a “web log”. You can think of it as an online journal or diary, although blogs are used for much more now, like online journalism. A blogger is someone who blogs, or writes content for a blog. Blogging is the act of writing a post for a blog. (ref.)
Influencers - An influencer is an individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of his/her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with his/her audience (ref.)
Content Creators - A content creator is someone who is responsible for the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media (ref.)

The content creator is a broad term, to be honest. A blogger and an influencer can be considered as a content creator.

Facebook and Instagram are top social media platforms and it has become a content creator platform too. It is actually easier to gain audience here since most people use Facebook and Instagram nowadays. People can share your posts and can make it go viral.

Youtube has now risen too and has become a top platform for video blogging or also known as vlogging. It became popular because people can earn big money from it unlike in blogging (which takes a long time for ads to monetize. haha). A lot of people also watch Youtube nowadays.

These are just a few examples of the big changes in the worldwide web. It may really be different before but I know we have to accept the changes and adapt to it. For me, it is not easy because I am more into writing and blogging than posting on Facebook and Instagram. I suck at captions, tbh. Haha! I actually got tired with Instagram too because I feel like it is now a competition. Haha. Feel me?


With all these new platforms, I can say that blogging paved way, actually. But the question is...


If you are here reading this post, then yes, you might probably still do :) But most people are more into Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube nowadays :(

I'm really not into numbers but I noticed that my blog views dropped down especially this year even though I still make contents every month. That's when I asked myself if people still read blogs today. Also, I think that most brands and companies, not all though, prefer content creators with a big number of followers on social media.

I miss those days where I blog hop every night. Read my friends' blogs. Because these days, I feel like only a few people blog anymore and I miss the genuineness of the blogosphere like back in the days.

Anyway, I am not sure if how long will I still blog but currently, I have no plans of stopping it. I'm really attached into this blog and I still love to write. Though, I am on hiatus sometimes. Haha!

So if you are reading this, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for still reading my blogs. ❤

If you've been a long-time reader of mine, you'll probably know that I have been working as a freelance even though I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Radiologic Technology. I've been working as a freelancer since 2017 which is the same year when I established Wild and Sassy Blog.

So how did I end up working as a freelancer? I actually did not pass the board examination for Radiologic Technologists. I decided to try other jobs for the mean time. I worked as an assistant manager for a bookstore near my place and I worked as a clerk at a hospital but both did not end well. I kept seeing 'Upwork' on my Twitter because of my online friends and I gave it a try one day.

My Upwork profile got approved in just a few days so I immediately try to apply. I was on week two when I got my first job. I was hired as an article writer for an online shop. I was really amazed at that time because that client still hired me even though I am new and I lack experience. I used this blog as my portfolio that is why I applied for article writing jobs at that time. I had a few clients in a week and I wrote like 10 articles a week. I wrote mainly for beauty, fashion, skincare, and eventually for food and home. As a newbie, I got really exhausted mentally. Haha! I was also shocked at how freelancing works. Like it is legit af! Haha! I should've known it in college for extra earnings. Haha. I only lasted two weeks as an article writer though. My mind couldn't take it! Lol. Good thing it was per project/milestone so we don't have contracts for a long time.

I applied as a part-time virtual assistant next and this is where I met my long-time client from a growth marketing company in the US. I started to work for them in late 2017. I managed their Facebook group which has hundreds of thousands of members and a few data entry tasks. I was really thankful for them as well because I learned a lot from them since all of the stuff I did for them was really new to me and they let me work in flexible hours. I was paid per hour in $. I also had other few data entry jobs alongside like I had a client from a law firm. Haha.


I did not intend this to sound like a resume! Sorry! Haha.

Then earlier this year, I had another client and I worked as a full-time virtual assistant too for him. He owns an e-commerce fashion store based in France. I ordered and update stocks for him. I also did a few customer service tasks via email and it is the most stressing part. Haha! I worked for 8 hrs to 12 hrs a day, 6 days a week but in flexible hours. I was also paid per hour and in $. I actually get bored from time to time so I really manage my time and take a break in between. I can still remember when my co-worker, also a Filipina virtual assistant, told me when I was still new to the company that the VA prior to me only lasted for a day. Haha. The work at e-commerce shops can really be stressful tbh, but good thing I lasted. Maybe, I also like doing it. :)

But it is not always a good time. Just recently I lost these two clients. My first client just stopped communicating with me. Na-Bea Alonzo ako bes! Haha. I worked for a total of one year and two months for that client. My second client, on the other hand, dropped the news like a bomb. He will be establishing their physical office in Thailand so he is required to hire staffs. I worked for four months for him. He even said that he wanted me to work with him in Thailand, jokingly or maybe not. Of course, I turned it down. It was too sudden. Working with him for four months is like a long time already since I was working full-time.

The first six months of my 2019 was a roller coaster ride for my working career but I have no regrets. I learned so much from my two clients and they praise most of the times which I actually never experience when I worked outside/in the corporate world. Since I am paid per hour in $ especially when I worked full-time, I was able to buy the things that I've been wishing for and I was able to travel last summer. I was proud of myself at that time. I was also able to buy a laptop when I first started, then my dream camera a few months after. In loan, ofc! Haha. But I am already done paying them before my clients are gone. Thank God! Looking back when I first started, I really learned a lot in working as a freelance and I experienced so many things as well. It helped me grow to the person who I am today. I never imagined myself working in a different field five years ago.

Working at home, online, is actually not a norm back in 2017 and I really had a hard time explaining my nature of work, with blogging alongside, especially to my family. They did not believe me until I bought my laptop and camera which means I am really earning. Haha! I also got tired of explaining to other people so I just told them I work at home and let them think what they wanna think. Haha. And yes, like the other freelancers, I work in pajamas sometimes (or most of the times?) too. Haha!

People might think that working as a freelance or working at home is EASY. They're wrong. It is just like other jobs. The only difference is that you do it at home but you have tasks and deadlines and some clients can be demanding af and it requires skills as well.

There are risks as well. I had a client when I was just new and I had no idea that there were scammers in Upwork. Never give your email and passwords. Do not apply if one of the requirement is to use a Team Viewer. This is just based on experience but it has a high risk of hacking your account/desktop. That client used Team Viewer to hack my accounts and get money from my Paypal. He also connected my Gmail to AdWords.

Anyway, I am back from the bottom. I am still trying my luck in getting a new client but things are not like before. Many people now tried this nature of work and applying is not easy nowadays. I am not sure if I would apply outside in the 'real' world but I am a bit hesitant because that would mean I will work full-time again and will commute to work. Hehe! But soon, hopefully, I can sort these things out! :)

It has been a while since I opened up on this blog. I feel like no one's reading blogs anymore. Haha. Most people are into Facebook and Instagram nowadays. Do you feel me? But blogging will always be my passion and I don't think I can let it go especially now that I am attached into it.

Anyway, have you tried working as a freelance or do you want to try it too?

Photo by Elsa Noblet

The All Time Favorite Tapa (125 pesos)

Sizzling Crunchy Pork Sisig (left), Tapsilog in the 'Famous Sauce' (right)

Lumpia Shanghai, Leche Flan

I like their leche flan. It is not too sweet but it is creamy.

Pinoy Halo-Halo