| Author |
Message |
   
Benhilo
Member
Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2012
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2014 - 09:41 am: | 
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Like Tom I 'm also interested in visiting the center in July of this year. Just found out I have time off. Insurance was mentioned by Tony, I was wondering if you could say where that could be obtained? |
Benhilo
Member
Post Number: 14
Registered: 02-2012
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2014 - 09:44 am: |
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Also, this may not be the place for this question so I apologize in advance but how does one obtain a membership number?
Sorry I did do a search but did not find what I was looking for. |
Michael_horn
Member
Post Number: 807
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2014 - 05:45 pm: |
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> A couple of links for travel insurance:
http://www.insuremytrip.com
http://www.csatravelpro.com/;jsessionid=EBF374E6646917B291A80011A0AE40A1= |
Benhilo
Member
Post Number: 15
Registered: 02-2012
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2014 - 10:07 pm: |
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Always nice to hear from you Michael and thank you for your work and assistance. Hope you and yours are well! |
Matthew
Member
Post Number: 101
Registered: 03-2011
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2014 - 03:25 pm: |
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Regarding insurance for working at the SSSC...
When organising my travel insurance for working at the SSSC last year, I looked at the level of cover in detail and read that farm work, or, working with, or near, machinery is not covered. I then looked for more specialised cover such as 'voluntary farm work abroad' cover from specialist brokers. However, even their 'gold' standards of cover did not cover me for the tasks I knew I could be doing at the SSSC in that it only covered me for light work duties on a farm, e.g., walking, digging, planting, light lifting and sweeping, etc. I rang the insurers directly and described in detail the kind of tasks I had done in the past at the SSSC and they informed me that "No company will insure you for those kind of tasks for three days". Upon further investigation, I found that they were right. It gets to the point where the cost of the insurance gets so unreasonably high that it would make my annual trip impossible. As having suitable insurance is a requirement and prerequisite for working at the SSSC, this means that I will have to limit the kind of work that I can do whilst there. If you look at the small print of holiday cover, even the specialised kind, you will find that you are not covered for many of the tasks at the SSSC. With some tasks being high risk, like wood-cutting and heavy lifting, etc., this is an issue for ANYONE wanting to work there and I was torn as to what to do. Luckily, I only did light tasks the last time I went, but, if something had happened in the previous years, I would not have been covered and my healthcare costs would have been astronomical. It is something to be aware of when organising cover for working at the SSSC and I challenge anyone to find affordable cover for three days that will cover a person for the kind of tasks being done at the SSSC because it does not seem to exist and all insurers will point blank refuse to cover people for this work.
It may be possible if the cover is for a longer period, say a month, but, please bear in mind that this will be very expensive. The only other alternative is to organise the best cover available and be aware that not all tasks are covered and make FIGU Switzerland aware before you carry out certain tasks.
I know this is boring legal talk, but, having injured my finger to the point where I lost my fingernail and having nearly taken someone's head off with an axe, the risks are real and I am not sure that FIGU are fully aware of this by the kinds of tasks they expect visitors to do. Certainly I did not have the opportunity to raise this the last time I was there and as I wasn't doing anything risky, it was not an issue. However, I want people to be aware that standard holiday insurance WILL NOT COVER YOU FOR WORKING AT THE SSSC.
Matthew |
Votan
Member
Post Number: 184
Registered: 12-2011
| | Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2014 - 03:40 pm: |
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Hi Matthew
If you live in Australia I think Medicare or private cover might do it.
Just check.
joe
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Matthew
Member
Post Number: 102
Registered: 03-2011
| | Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 05:36 am: |
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Hi Joe,
Oh great, so not only does Australia have more susnhine, better beaches and more space, which is why most of my fellow Brits want to move there, they also have better insurance too. 
The insurance brokers I called even had independent brokers that could write up bespoke policies, but, even these refused to provide me the adequate level of cover for a week's trip at the SSSC.
Matthew |
Darren
Member
Post Number: 408
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 04:41 pm: |
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Maybe other main reasons why many Brits want to move to Australia is because it has a better economy, work pay as well as lifestyle. The better weather and beaches were secondary. That's what I heard two migrating Brits say to me anyway. |
Zefram
Member
Post Number: 18
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2014 - 07:01 am: |
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Hi all;
I live in southern Spain and I want to know how I could go to the Center, perhaps in September it will be just a week or 5 days. I need where I could stay or a cheaper location near the center or within itself. I have no car so I will go by plane from my country and them by train.
Many thanks
Salome
Zefram |
Tony_q
Member
Post Number: 12
Registered: 06-2011
| | Posted on Monday, July 21, 2014 - 02:23 pm: |
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Zefram if you write/email to the center and inform them of your wish to visit and your dates they will tell you if it's suitable at that time, you can camp at the center if you bring a tent or you can stay at the nearby Gasthof in Schmidruti although it is rather expensive. |
Tom
Member
Post Number: 28
Registered: 12-2011
| | Posted on Sunday, August 03, 2014 - 12:14 pm: |
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I have just returned to Aus. from a visit to Europe and a 4 night stay at the SSSC. I am keen to share my experience staying at SSSC for the first time, to encourage others to visit the center and to assist others in preparing. I stayed at SSSC from 25th – 29th of July, and overall, the experience was very relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding.
I camped in a small tent while I was at the center, in the camping area, which is about a 1 minute walk from the main SSSC buildings. The camping was free and I booked this through the following link.
https://www.creationaltruth.org/FIGU/FIGUCommunity/TheSemjaseSilverStarCenter(SSSC).aspx
The camp site has a nice view of the adjacent sheep paddock, and there is enough room in the camping area for about 3 – 4 tents. One of the sites is under a shelter. From what I gathered, it may also be possible to camp further down the hill if the camping area is full or too noisy. For the first two nights of my stay I was the only camper, and was then joined by another camper for the last two nights. There is a shared external bathroom (with hot water) at the center, which is in great condition, and makes for a very comfortable camping trip. The steps down to the camp site are quite steep and irregular and would be difficult or dangerous to use for someone with injuries or arthritis (there is a longer way to walk around along the road, which takes about 5 mins if the stairs can’t be used) . For those that do not wish to camp, the Gasthaus zum Freihof is a 5 minute walk from the centre. On their website, the Gasthuas quote about 65CHF per person, per night (See following link). The Gasthaus also has a restaurant for people who wish to eat nearby, but outside of the SSSC kitchen.
http://www.freihof-schmidrueti.ch/en/uebernachtungen/
At SSSC, there is a communal kitchen which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at set times each day. This is used by core FIGU residents, core and passive FIGU visitors and volunteers. During my stay, there was typically more than 10 people at the dinner table. Breakfast and lunch consisted of breads, cheeses, salami, garnishing and fruit. The dinners and deserts were excellent. For dinner we had a quiche, salami and vegetable pie, soup and beef casserole with rice for the 4 nights of my stay. There is also plenty of tea, coffee, softdrink and fruitjuice. The group works together to clean up the kitchen after meals, which makes for light work. The food costs 7CHF per meal. The kitchen is part of the main living quarters of the SSSC and I was mindful about not spending too much time in there, to respect the privacy of the residents.
There are about 10 core FIGU members living at SSSC, and then additional core FIGU members come to SSSC to work specific days of the week, but live nearby in the district. There are also passive members who visit to assist on a weekly or intermittent basis, some living close to the center and others who travel further. ie. from Germany.
I can only speak and understand a small amount of German, but I found all of the people at the SSSC to be very friendly and accommodating. Most of the core group members who I met could only speak very limited English, but I did have some good conversations with Sylvano, Bernadette, Atlantis, and Philia, as well as a 2 passive members, who speak English well.
I worked outside during my stay. Work duties consisted of 6 hours work per day between Monday and Saturday, with Sunday being a rest day. The main tasks which the volunteers and passive members undertook involved raking up grass and weeds that Sylvano had whipped up with his “ghettoblaster”, sweeping leaves from the concrete pads and drains around the center and bird pens, and weeding the gardens and carparks. I found the work very relaxing and peaceful. The core group members were split between inside and outside duties. The outside duties that I observed included gardening, carpentry and landscaping. I did not get to see what the core members who work inside do for work. From what I understand, they were working on all things associated with publishing information -. ie. translations, corrections, bulletins etc. Regarding travel insurance, Christian informed me of the following before I visited the centre; “And yes, standard travel insurance is sufficient. You won't work with, and use machines.”
Only working 6 hours per day, I found that I had a lot of spare time before work, during the midday break and after dinner, which I used for study, thinking, talking with people and meditating. I also went for a walk through some of the nearby villages and around the SSSC gardens, which were both scenic walks.
During my stay, the weather fluctuated from hot and sunny, to cool and drizzly, to heavy rain with thunderstorms almost directly overhead. I would recommend that outside volunteers are equipped with a raincoat and gumboots. I would also recommend lightweight long sleeve clothing for sun protection, and for avoiding horsefly bites, as well as a wide brimmed hat, as parts of the gardens are sunny. Water bottles are a good idea for outside work and camping because the tap can be quite a walk away.
The night time and early morning can be quite noisy in the camping area. While I was there I used earplugs as we had military aircraft flying overhead at low level at 11pm at night, thunderstorms, other campers snoring, wild foxes growling and yelping, and the SSSC feathered friends singing a song or two in the dark. Given the weather, it is important to have a waterproof tent and it got quite cold at night during the wet weather, so a thick sleeping bag is advised – even in the middle of summer.
Despite not being able to hold a conversation with a lot of the people at the SSSC, by observing their physiognomy, interactions and behavior, I found the people to be wise, peaceful and happy. Over the 4 day stay, I became accustomed to being around these people. The morning that I left SSSC, and boarded the train at Wila Station, I was immediately struck by the contrasting facial expressions of the people on the train carriage, which were sullen and vacant, compared with the people who I met at SSSC. This stark contrast helped me to further realize how important the spiritual teaching is for humanity.
One big advantage of the trip was that I left the center with renewed motivation to spend more of my available time studying German and the Spiritual Teachings. I would love to visit again in a few years, hopefully after mastering German. I would prefer to visit for a longer period of at least 10 days if I camp there again. |
Ramirez
Member
Post Number: 1033
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Monday, August 04, 2014 - 11:26 am: |
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Thanks Tom, good read and very comprehensive but you overlooked the important part ..... what do the deserts consist of ?
Is there any sort of composting operation in progress ? you mentioned collecting leaves then there would be the vegetable - fruit peelings from the kitchen.
Cheers.
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Vincent
Member
Post Number: 118
Registered: 06-2013
| | Posted on Monday, August 04, 2014 - 10:14 pm: |
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Thanks Tom!
Did you get to meet Billy? |
Tom
Member
Post Number: 29
Registered: 12-2011
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 03:04 am: |
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I did try one of the desserts. It was tasty but I can't recall what it was.
The chooks process the food scraps and then deposit them around the chook pen.
Garden waste scraps were all dumped (evenly dispersed) down a steep slope, and the resulting compost would be difficult to recover for reuse.
I said hello to Billy a couple of times in the kitchen. |
Ramirez
Member
Post Number: 1036
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 01:34 pm: |
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Hmmm, apple strudel with custard or ice cream, black forest cake, fruit pies, crepes with jam ..... so many yummy possibilities to imagine and you dont recall ....
Ah so it's not as green as it could be. Mix 25% fruit - vegetable peelings plus teabags, coffee grounds even crushed eggshells with 75% leaves, small twigs, loose topsoil in a tumbler and in around 2 months there's a compost resulting if turned over once a day or so.
Tumbler bins come in various sizes though 44 gallon ones seem to work well.
For a richer mix use 33% vegetable - fruit peelings with 67% garden waste.
It's not a huge effort once you have the tumbler bin.
Cheers.
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Darren
Member
Post Number: 439
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 05:18 pm: |
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Anyone know roughly how many acres is the Semjase Silver Star Center property? |
Tom
Member
Post Number: 30
Registered: 12-2011
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 03:07 am: |
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Thanks for sharing Ramirez - sounds like a good project. |
Ramirez
Member
Post Number: 1038
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2014 - 02:26 am: |
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Hi Tom,
Seems an obvious utilization of waste to produce something useful. Given the volume of scraps they would probably create a small mountain each month.
Also ..... do they bake their own bread and did you notice any meal where visitors were present and also Billy sat at the table or does he only sit with passive members and C49 ?
Also can non passive members volunteer for gardening work and do you know of a contact email to arrange this ?
Cheers.
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Tom
Member
Post Number: 32
Registered: 12-2011
| | Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2014 - 04:22 am: |
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Hi Ramirez,
I cannot comment for certain whether or not the SSSC green waste is reused as compost, but it was spread down a steep slope which would make it hard to recover, in comparison to using a compost heap or compost bin.
I am not a member with FIGU and I was given permission to camp and do volunteer work, so I imagine that it should be fine.
Contact link for voluntary work:
http://www.figu.org/ch/verein/das-figu-center/arbeitsanmeldung/en
I did not witness any bread baking, but that's not to say that they don't - I didn't spend much time in the kitchen during the day.
Billy sat in the kitchen to eat dinner on the first night I was there. The following nights the table was full and he sat elsewhere in the house to eat.
Regards,
Tom. |
Uleih
New member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2014
| | Posted on Friday, June 12, 2015 - 04:21 am: |
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Hi all,
I want visit SSSC between 6-15 july and then hitchhike back to Estonia.
Already filled form on FIGU website for voluntary at SSSC, but haven't received any feedback/replay, only auto-message that they successfully got my submission (I submitted form 3. june and now it's 12.06.15.) Not sure how that works, do they call you 2 weeks before your arrival? Should I call?
I already bought one-way ticket to Switzerland before plane tickets got extremely high.
Is anyone from Baltic country's planning to go there?
Henry. |
Historeed
Member
Post Number: 39
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 12, 2015 - 05:10 am: |
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Uleih,
If you received the auto-reply email saying they received your submission, then they know you are coming. I visited the SSSC last summer and they were expecting me when I arrived. No worries. Enjoy your visit!
Matthew Reed
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Aimee
Member
Post Number: 13
Registered: 12-2014
| | Posted on Sunday, October 18, 2015 - 03:38 am: |
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Hi all,
I went to visit the Figu center and what an amazing trip.
I left from Uk to France and from there I took my car for a 9 hours road trip.
The Figu center is not far from Zurich and was able to enjoy a nice fondue before going to the center the follwing day.
After driving for 45 mins I was able to easly find my way to Schmidruti.
There we were welcomed by Daniela. We spend arounds 2 hours speaking about the mission in general. I was able to buy books too and now have around 32 of them.
Overall I am very glad I made this trip even tought it was never easy to organise. Daniela was very helpful. She was even speaking French fluently.
Thanks Daniela for your patience and kindness. |
Matthewhurley
Member
Post Number: 14
Registered: 09-2014
| | Posted on Sunday, October 18, 2015 - 11:20 pm: |
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Hi Aimee
You haven't mentioned Billy, did you meet him? |
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