BEN SPENCER: Chuja Exit Interview

Ben Spencer made it through 6 months on the biggest hardship posting in Korea's EPIK public school program, the rapidly shrinking fishing community of 2000 on Chuja Island, 2 hours north-west of Jeju by ferry.

I spoke with him in October and agreed to catch up again at the end of his contract to see how he had maintained morale and motivation in such an isolated environment.

In this exit interview two days prior to leaving Korea forever and returning to life, love and home in Ireland, Spencer speaks about life in a one industry community, Chuja's lack of self-sufficiency and why he ended his teaching contract early. He also expands on some Chuja-related topics established by The Jeju Weekly article 'And You Thought Jeju Was Remote' from August, 2009.

Spencer's intriguing and articulate prose on Chuja life can be found at OBSERVATIONS FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE at https://countryobservations.wordpress.com/ and his earlier writings can be found at SPENCER COTTAGE INDUSTRIES at https://spencersteaandsympathy.wordpress.com/

Music on this episode courtesy of '60s Korean girl-group THE PEARL SISTERS. An explainer on the group from kpopstarz.com: http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/81483/20140227/pearl-sisters-hate-it.htm

A link to The jeju Weekly article can be found here:

http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=179