Life in Pyongyang can be difficult. For locals, the state demands they work long hours in jobs that are often physically intensive and mundane, and there are no labor unions or trade guilds to turn to to improve conditions in the workplace. Spare time, too, is eaten up by other commitments, from political meetings to volunteer work, with North Koreans living under constant expectations and rituals they must follow to get by in the complex social structure that dominates life.

And day-to-day existence for expats is often centered around work. With few amenities for foreigners and heavy restrictions on where you can and can’t go, it’s not as though, as an outsider, there’s much to do with a day off.