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I wonder who works in those embassies. Are there some British dudes just living there that go to the embassy every day for work? Where do they buy food? What do
by dheera 2y ago
I wonder who works in those embassies. Are there some British dudes just living there that go to the embassy every day for work? Where do they buy food? What do their residences look like? Do have spouses and children? Where do they work and go to school? Do they enjoy life there?
- thriftwy 2y agoThey likely go to specialized shops for foreigners where you may only pay with US$-backed coupons, and can purchase most of stuff you can commonly buy in Japan.
- __s 2y ago> There were a handful of shops that catered for foreigners. All transactions had to be in Euros as possession of local currency by foreigners was forbidden. A lot of the items were imported from China and from time to time, local fresh produce would make a rare appearance. Meat was always in short supply.
- lutoma 2y agoHere's a video of what one of those shops looks like by an Indonesian diplomat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYJ9u0sEE4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYJ9u0sEE4
- thriftwy 2y agoLankov has described the coupon system in some detail. I believe Cuba has a similar system with CUC or had it until recently. I'm not sure at which point NK ditched coupons for Euros.
- netsharc 2y agoSome of your questions are answered in the actual article... no mention of spouses or kids, so most probably they don't come along.
- H8crilA 2y agoIntelligence officers. Even your average friendly embassy is full of them. In this case it was probably more to handle secure channels of high level communication rather that recruiting agents. He even mentioned at the beginning that this was the official purpose for the mission. If you want to arrange something quickly between nations you go through their respective three letter agencies.
- shiroiushi 2y agoWhy would anyone in their right mind accept a job like this? It's a lot like taking a job that requires you to live in a prison for several years.
- simonjgreen 2y agoIn most cases it’s accepting orders
- shiroiushi 2y agoOrders? Diplomatic service (in the UK and other democratic nations) isn't part of the military; it's a civilian job. The guards might be soldiers, but the rest of the jobs aren't to my knowledge.
- implements 2y agoIf someone is offered a particular posting but chooses not to accept it without good reason then I expect they won’t be offered anything better (more important, prestigious or more enjoyable). (Saying that, I remember reading once that high-flying UK diplomats might be offered something less desirable as a ‘test of nerve’ - to see whether they had enough confidence and self belief to hold out for something better. It’s a never-ending test of character and ability to know which way the wind is blowing, I suppose)
- shiroiushi 2y agoSounds like a good way of keeping young people from being interested in a career in that field.
- cardanome 2y agoIf you read the article, they were allowed to travel freely. Personally I would have loved the job. Seems like they had lots of free time. Very secure country without much crime. Really not much to worry about, just a bit isolating. Plus some cool stories to tell when you are back home. Sure, not the type of job for people with family.
- rad_gruchalski 2y agoYou’d wonder less if you had read the article.