Summary Part 4

Troost heard news of a man from the UK living on Kiribati claimed to be "poet laureate of Kiribati." Being that Troost is a novelist and literature man himself, he figured that he needed to meet this man and interview him. The story of the UK poet laureate is that he had been working dead end jobs in the UK when he wrote to the government of Kiribati looking to be the national poet if he could receive housing: a hut overlooking the lagoon. Kiribati couldn't resist this opportunity, and then years later Troost met Wilson. Troost finds that Wilson is a low-life poetry man "living off the generosity of the I-Kiribati" without ever having written a single word. This was one of the experiences Troost encounters in the section, along with learning to surf and fish. Mike, an avid surfer and strict literature critic, had lived on the island for 17 years. Troost asked to be taught how to surf, and although the lessons were helpful, Troost only managed to body surf. He learned that the waves at this place were much stronger and because of the reefs right below the surface, it is a dangerous sport to an amateur foreigner. The fear of reefs and sharks stay on Troost's mind during surfing and fishing later with Bwenawa. Horror stories of being adrift at sea and "crazy I-Kiribati fishermen" hindered his fishing days on the Pacific; however Troost yearned to have sea life and to explore the islands surrounding Kiribati. The sun was indefinitely hot, the fish challenging to pull in with hook and line and bare hands alone, and the sight of a thresher shark next to the open boat scary. An experience, nonetheless, fishing opened his eyes to the culture and how small and fragile the island he now calls home really is. The storm over the small locale in the South Pacific granted Troost and Sylvia's happiness for the water that would be contained in their water holding tank at home as they stayed in Maiana. From his memorable experiences, Troost is starting to the love the culture and life on Kiribati, despite his incessant nagging about the heat and limitations of island life.