I saw a documentary recently about life in North Korea. It all revolves around following the directions of The Glorious Leader, who really takes the whole dictatorship thing very seriously. He'll tell you what to think, what to say and even how to do your hair.
Though it's probably wiser to copy his own style if you really want the high brownie points.
North Korea has a six day working week, so life it pretty busy and full for the average worker. On the seventh day they are so filled with national pride that every one of them volunteers that day to completing worthy civic duties.
By all accounts, the population are falling over themselves in enthusiastic street cleaning, tending to civic gardens and parks, and painting and polishing monuments.
I imagine a whole lot of them might be busy practising for the annual Mass Games, where precision really is appreciated by The Glorious Leader. Which really made me wonder how they do it. Not the cleaning and synchronised displays of national supremacy. How do they fit in the rest of their lives? Not anything exciting, just the running the house, cooking, shopping stuff. Today I cleaned my house from end to end, did the washing and ironing, went to the supermarket, tended to some school work and cooked a nice paleo dinner. Most weekends at least half the time is spent on chores of some sort or other, setting me up for another week's busyness. I don't mind it, I like playing house, but it takes time. And it's also nice to have time for lazy alarm-free mornings, seeing friends and generally pottering. I can hardly fit it all into a two day weekend. I'd never make it in North Korea.
I fear I would disappoint The Glorious Leader when I couldn't find the time to break out the Brasso to demonstrate my fervent love. Which is why I'm feeling so smug tonight. All the 'must do's are done and I still have the equivalent of a whole weekend up my sleeve.
God save the Queen, and all her heirs and successors.
