
The group has had an amazing time in Sampela and after reflecting on such a wonderful cultural and personal experience, we are getting ready to say goodbye to a place so unlike our American home. A place where we learned to spearfish, spent a lot of our day on the sea, and learned about the diverse and very different culture that is the Bajau people. We know that these experiences will live within our minds and hearts forever. As we are getting ready to wrap up the last portion of our trip we wanted to write some light hearted haiku’s about our time here.
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Houses are on stilts
We spear fish everyday
Beautiful sunsets
Sampela is hot
I poop into the ocean
Ayam? No, ikan
Watch out for sea snakes
Sometimes I fall through the planks
The stars are so bright
Ink is everywhere
Bapak killed the octopus
Octopus kebab
The canoe is small
The ocean leaks into it
I fear I will fall
The tide comes and goes
What will Bapak catch today?
Will it be besar?
They all speak Bajau
I just speak Indonesian
I am confusion
I shoot the big fish
Just a cloud of scales and blood
Dimana ikan?
The kids love to play
They always stop to say “hey”
As I’m on my way
We dance with the kids
Alex tries to do the worm
The kids one up her
I am sad to go
I will always remember
Our time on the sea