Funny you should say that, because they have... Interesting ideas about illness...
According to their understanding of the world, spreading illness faster and to more people means that "Everyone will get it, and then will get over it more quickly". Thus, they don't even cover coughs, or allow sick days.
One of the "organizing team" got what I suspect is Covid, and thus, pretty much deliberately came into work sick, and gave it to all of us. So I've spent the last week or so dealing with that...
I nearly went to hospital on Friday, I was so sick. So I didn't have to even fake it, haha. But I was able to use that time exactly as you say, thank god...
But yeah, while I've been here, one of the girls I've been seeing regularly is a junior doctor (French). Which is incredibly useful, but she's also horrified...
She's kept me going, so far, and I think she'll be helpful in getting out of here permanently...
I have another Swedish girl giving me legal and financial advice, too. So it's ok. It's just that they can only do so much.
But you're right. I was with NZ friends yesterday, and they said much the same. But it wasn't so obvious on the first day. It's extremely secretive, so some of the nastier stuff only became apparent later. Or I just figured it would "normalize" in coming weeks. It never did, though.
Also (massive) sunk cost fallacy, unfortunately.
None of this is new, or unusual, or unique to me. I'm just unlucky enough to fall into it. That is on me. But essentially these sorts of "organizations" are parasitic, and they obviously saw me as a good target/useful idiot...
But they've got my money (i.e. what I paid them for the course), and they have control of my visa. Thankfully I still have everything else, though, and I will not let them take more from me. Just time, I guess.
According to their understanding of the world, spreading illness faster and to more people means that "Everyone will get it, and then will get over it more quickly". Thus, they don't even cover coughs, or allow sick days.
That's basically Sweden's Covid strategy.
But sick days are not just to prevent the spreading of disease, it's so that you can actually call in sick when you cannot work.
Also (massive) sunk cost fallacy, unfortunately.
Realizing it is the first step in combating it.
But essentially these sorts of "organizations" are parasitic, and they obviously saw me as a good target/useful idiot...
Not an idiot, but you have often given me the impression that you are somewhat naive. A lot of people who are gentle and honest naturally assume that the rest of the world is the same, and that's where they go off the rails.
But they've got my money (i.e. what I paid them for the course),
If you paid by credit card, you may be able to get your money back.
Agree on all points. Unfortunately it was by bank transfer (because above a certain threshold, Australian banks understandably limit payment options), so I will have to fight them to get some of the money back, but I only paid for half the course, upfront (because again, I had an inkling something was off), so... It's still an enormous amount of money, but it's less than it could have been, nonetheless...
Re the sick days, see yeah, that's exactly it. But there's a difference between allowing the spread, and deliberately coming to work sick, and coughing on people, and then (as happened today), blaming said people for then getting sick...
Same bitch who gave me the illness (be it Covid or otherwise) told me today that if I took more time off sick, I would "fail" the course, and be asked to leave (because I'm extremely ill, atm). She also told me that my leaving on weekends was no longer allowed, "probably" made me sick, and showed that my priorities were wrong.
So I said, "Ok, how about I go to a doctor, or a hospital, and get evidence for you?". At which point she freaked the fuck out about the concept of even going to hospital...
Anyway, this shit went on and on, with her trying to snafu me, at which point I just said "I'm done with this", and walked out.
After that, I decided that this weekend will be my last, here. That was the final straw, lol.
Funny about the naivety thing. I guess that is true, but it's just interesting that I've survived torture, several assaults, a shooting attack and other fucked up shit (yeah, long stories. The attack happened overseas), and yet, I still fell for this one.
Like I said, family and friends, who I vetted this through, and even former (non-Waldorf) teachers, let me down, here...
But I mostly just wanted to come to Sweden. I thought this was my best chance, and in a sense, I was right. But in no way has "being in Sweden" proved to be worth the rest of it, unfortunately...
It's still an enormous amount of money, but it's less than it could have been, nonetheless...
I remember you complaining that you didn't have money. Where did you get that 'enormous amount'? And what range should I be thinking about?
Same bitch who gave me the illness (be it Covid or otherwise) told me today that if I took more time off sick, I would "fail" the course, and be asked to leave (because I'm extremely ill, atm). She also told me that my leaving on weekends was no longer allowed, "probably" made me sick, and showed that my priorities were wrong.
Almost literally unbelievable... sounds like something out of a movie.
So I said, "Ok, how about I go to a doctor, or a hospital, and get evidence for you?". At which point she freaked the fuck out about the concept of even going to hospital...
This is rather revealing. She might not want people to go to hospitals or doctors, or in other ways have contact with people who might bring the cult to light.
Funny about the naivety thing. I guess that is true, but it's just interesting that I've survived torture, several assaults, a shooting attack and other fucked up shit (yeah, long stories. The attack happened overseas), and yet, I still fell for this one.
Being able to withstand force unfortunately is not the same thing as being able to withstand fraud.
Like I said, family and friends, who I vetted this through, and even former (non-Waldorf) teachers, let me down, here...
Do they have any personal experience? What makes you think that your family and friends have any competence when it comes to vetting an 'educational' program on the other side of the world?
But I mostly just wanted to come to Sweden. I thought this was my best chance, and in a sense, I was right. But in no way has "being in Sweden" proved to be worth the rest of it, unfortunately...
Re Sweden, I’ve just… Always been interested in this place, and its culture (not the woke shit), and some things that only really exist in this part of the world. Hence what I do on weekends (travel, and see it).
I also have two Swedish exes (from living in Aus), so while I don’t have any desire to see them, specifically, there’s some “adjacency of values/interests” there, too…
It’s just an adventure. But it’s not worth being utterly suffocated in this cult, just for the potential of that adventure…
Seriously, I know it sounds absurd, but the information I was given made it sound like I would at least have the freedom to experience this country in my free time, and that we could easily travel around, and perhaps even go work on the weekends (like you normally can, as a student).
I assure you, the realities of this place are extremely well-hidden, on the internet.
I know better now, and I will never let this happen again. But, like any of these things, they really do hide the bad stuff very well, at least until you’re here and “trapped”.
Turns out this organization (the broader Steiner one) has enormous financial and legal resources behind it, to combat whistleblowers and the like. There’s people in this “community” whose full-time role it is to combat “unfair criticism” of Waldorf schools and the like.
That should tell you a lot. And now I know that too.
Like, I effectively put aside a year’s worth of savings for this stupid bullshit, and to have as a “buffer”.
Now that “buffer” is mostly going to be put towards getting the fuck out of here, and trying to escape legally and financially as unscathed as possible. That is what I meant.
The price of a decent second-hand car. Let’s go with that.
Funny you should say that, because they have... Interesting ideas about illness...
According to their understanding of the world, spreading illness faster and to more people means that "Everyone will get it, and then will get over it more quickly". Thus, they don't even cover coughs, or allow sick days.
One of the "organizing team" got what I suspect is Covid, and thus, pretty much deliberately came into work sick, and gave it to all of us. So I've spent the last week or so dealing with that...
I nearly went to hospital on Friday, I was so sick. So I didn't have to even fake it, haha. But I was able to use that time exactly as you say, thank god...
But yeah, while I've been here, one of the girls I've been seeing regularly is a junior doctor (French). Which is incredibly useful, but she's also horrified...
She's kept me going, so far, and I think she'll be helpful in getting out of here permanently...
I have another Swedish girl giving me legal and financial advice, too. So it's ok. It's just that they can only do so much.
But you're right. I was with NZ friends yesterday, and they said much the same. But it wasn't so obvious on the first day. It's extremely secretive, so some of the nastier stuff only became apparent later. Or I just figured it would "normalize" in coming weeks. It never did, though.
Also (massive) sunk cost fallacy, unfortunately.
None of this is new, or unusual, or unique to me. I'm just unlucky enough to fall into it. That is on me. But essentially these sorts of "organizations" are parasitic, and they obviously saw me as a good target/useful idiot...
But they've got my money (i.e. what I paid them for the course), and they have control of my visa. Thankfully I still have everything else, though, and I will not let them take more from me. Just time, I guess.
I still have my dignity and my free will.
That's basically Sweden's Covid strategy.
But sick days are not just to prevent the spreading of disease, it's so that you can actually call in sick when you cannot work.
Realizing it is the first step in combating it.
Not an idiot, but you have often given me the impression that you are somewhat naive. A lot of people who are gentle and honest naturally assume that the rest of the world is the same, and that's where they go off the rails.
If you paid by credit card, you may be able to get your money back.
Agree on all points. Unfortunately it was by bank transfer (because above a certain threshold, Australian banks understandably limit payment options), so I will have to fight them to get some of the money back, but I only paid for half the course, upfront (because again, I had an inkling something was off), so... It's still an enormous amount of money, but it's less than it could have been, nonetheless...
Re the sick days, see yeah, that's exactly it. But there's a difference between allowing the spread, and deliberately coming to work sick, and coughing on people, and then (as happened today), blaming said people for then getting sick...
Same bitch who gave me the illness (be it Covid or otherwise) told me today that if I took more time off sick, I would "fail" the course, and be asked to leave (because I'm extremely ill, atm). She also told me that my leaving on weekends was no longer allowed, "probably" made me sick, and showed that my priorities were wrong.
So I said, "Ok, how about I go to a doctor, or a hospital, and get evidence for you?". At which point she freaked the fuck out about the concept of even going to hospital...
Anyway, this shit went on and on, with her trying to snafu me, at which point I just said "I'm done with this", and walked out.
After that, I decided that this weekend will be my last, here. That was the final straw, lol.
Funny about the naivety thing. I guess that is true, but it's just interesting that I've survived torture, several assaults, a shooting attack and other fucked up shit (yeah, long stories. The attack happened overseas), and yet, I still fell for this one.
Like I said, family and friends, who I vetted this through, and even former (non-Waldorf) teachers, let me down, here...
But I mostly just wanted to come to Sweden. I thought this was my best chance, and in a sense, I was right. But in no way has "being in Sweden" proved to be worth the rest of it, unfortunately...
I remember you complaining that you didn't have money. Where did you get that 'enormous amount'? And what range should I be thinking about?
Almost literally unbelievable... sounds like something out of a movie.
This is rather revealing. She might not want people to go to hospitals or doctors, or in other ways have contact with people who might bring the cult to light.
Being able to withstand force unfortunately is not the same thing as being able to withstand fraud.
Do they have any personal experience? What makes you think that your family and friends have any competence when it comes to vetting an 'educational' program on the other side of the world?
Why? What's so great about Sweden?
Re Sweden, I’ve just… Always been interested in this place, and its culture (not the woke shit), and some things that only really exist in this part of the world. Hence what I do on weekends (travel, and see it).
I also have two Swedish exes (from living in Aus), so while I don’t have any desire to see them, specifically, there’s some “adjacency of values/interests” there, too…
It’s just an adventure. But it’s not worth being utterly suffocated in this cult, just for the potential of that adventure…
Seriously, I know it sounds absurd, but the information I was given made it sound like I would at least have the freedom to experience this country in my free time, and that we could easily travel around, and perhaps even go work on the weekends (like you normally can, as a student).
I assure you, the realities of this place are extremely well-hidden, on the internet.
I know better now, and I will never let this happen again. But, like any of these things, they really do hide the bad stuff very well, at least until you’re here and “trapped”.
Turns out this organization (the broader Steiner one) has enormous financial and legal resources behind it, to combat whistleblowers and the like. There’s people in this “community” whose full-time role it is to combat “unfair criticism” of Waldorf schools and the like.
That should tell you a lot. And now I know that too.
An enormous amount of money for me…
Like, I effectively put aside a year’s worth of savings for this stupid bullshit, and to have as a “buffer”.
Now that “buffer” is mostly going to be put towards getting the fuck out of here, and trying to escape legally and financially as unscathed as possible. That is what I meant.
The price of a decent second-hand car. Let’s go with that.