You’re forced to live in either North Korea or Saudi Arabia. You cannot leave the country. Let’s assume your exile is for 10 years.
You will have a comfortable material lifestyle that is the equivalent of a middle-class household in the United States or Canada, including free access to health care and education. In NK, you’ll sill have plenty of food through famines. In Saudi, no bacon; you’re stuck with a halal diet.
If you choose to live in Saudi Arabia, you cannot live in or enter a compound or other enclave inhabited mostly by Westerners. If you live in North Korea, you cannot live or enter a diplomatic compound, although you will have access to euro/dollar stores.
In Saudi, you will not be permitted to have a satellite dish. In NK, you’re stuck with state media; radios and televisions fixed to one station.
Through top-secret alien technology, you will become fully literate and fluent in Arabic or Korean.
The laws of either country fully apply to you, with no exceptions. Live in Saudi, and get 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for talking to a woman you’re not related to or having a beer, and taken to Chop Chop Square for admitting to atheism. Live in NK, and get 10 years in a labor camp for mentioning either Kim in a context that is less than glowing, complaining about the crowd on a trolley bus, or expressing regret about not making it past the first round in the World Cup.
North Korea, easily. I have to spew corporate bullshit at work all the time. Singing the praises of the Dear Leader would be like another day on the job.
The possibilty of my athiest self, refusing to wear a tent, being in Saudi Arabia would be nothing but trouble for me, and i would get into way too much trouble arguing with authority.
Saudia Arabia because of the food situation–I bet I would like more of the stuff they eat in Saudi Arabia than the typical North Korean fare (and I understand the hypo–I’m making a comment about food quality and my preferences, not food quantity or availability).
Saudi Arabia, definitely. Lots of history and archaeology in the country, and if I’m there for 10 years I can make myself useful by trying to rebuild the Hejaz Railway.
I’m not worried about the Halal thing, either- I’ve spent enough time in Muslim countries that you get used to going without bacon and ham etc. There are halal substitutes available anyway- beef brisket bacon, for example, is near enough.
Hell, give me the culture that gave us enlightened mathmetics, astronomy, and free thinking… I want to be a Turkey. That’s the best example of muslim enlightenment and empire building. I suppoae it’s not chaste enough for the “Western Middle East”.
Westernized might not have been the best word for my previous post. I meant that I get the feeling that life there is more similar to life here than it is in North Korea. For a male, anyway.
Lets see, sex with a NK woman or jerking off to images of a Saudi woman in 110 degree heat with a sack over her head. Hmmmmm… What was the question again?
I feel like Saudi Arabia would be the tougher option for a Westernized female. I choose North Korea. If I can live in a crazily isolated society and still get fed through the famines, I’m okay with it. Maybe, with my English ability, I can get a job as a tour guide and tourists will bring me cigarettes. We love the leader, etc.
Westernised females do just fine in S Arabia. Or more accuratly white females; its women from elsewhere who have an issue, my aunt a doctor can testify.
Can you tell us more about life in Saudi Arabia then?
I can see how it would be fine for embassy wives living in expat compounds and raising kids. They could enjoy life and sunshine within the confines of the compound and could take advantage of the “family” section that most public facilities seem to have. They could have an active if unusual social life with their neighbors, their husband’s co-workers and their families. It seems like a pretty kid-friendly place and there would be plenty to do as a family. Life wouldn’t be that different and of course the money keeps flowing. It seems like fixing up the house, raising the kids and doing the social circuit is enough to keep most expat wives happy wherever they are.
But I’m a single female and I would not be living in an expat compound. And I am NOT a homebody. I need public life, sunshine, community and nature.
Could I still go for a walk on a breezy evening, smiling at the kids playing and chatting it up with the local shopkeepers? Could I sit out on my front step watching the world go by? Could I go on long bus rides, not knowing where I’m going, and explore new neighborhoods? Could I choose to walk to work instead of taking a car when the weather is good?
Would I be able to even go to restaurants and parks at all, given that I don’t have a male guardian at my disposal? Could I do my own shopping or would I have to send out for it? If I’m feeling a bit stir-crazy in the house, what would my options be? How does the guardian thing even work if you don’t have any male relatives in the country?
Could I continue my career? What would my career options be? I’m sick of being a teacher. What else could I do?
I’m in my twenties and would obviously like to spend time with eligible young men. Would that be possible? Are there any ways for young people to get to know each other in mixed-sex groups? Could I ever go on a date- even if it’s just a chaste walk down a public street? Is there any chance of any sort of nightlife?
My impression is that life for a single female not in an expat compound would be pretty restricted. I would find few opportunities to get out of the house and would have very little to fill up my time with. In North Korea I could have a career and walk around the block now and then. Maybe I could even sneak a few shots of homemade liquor with some cute guy while we all watch the community TV during our nightly hour of electricity. Not an awesome existence, but better than being cooped up in the house all day.
Cold can be fixed with a sweater. You can only get so naked in the heat of Saudi Arabia before the religious police weigh in. If they’re willing to throw little girls back into a burning building because they don’t have scarves on think of the reaction to a summer outfit.
