Tales from the land of the crocodile

“Hey man, what are you doing? Come have dinner with us, we have fish and coconut wine”.

I wasn't sure if Biri was talking to me. The three rugged-looking, mid-20s men, carrying plastic bags with bottles and something else I couldn't identify, were actually inviting me for dinner at their place. After some hesitation, I said yes. I knew that wasn't the most logical decision, but I somehow had a good feeling. That quickly changed once we started walking in an offbeat path, through what very much resembled a jungle, in a more remote part of town. My feet would often sink in the mud, and I kept looking around to find something that would at least help me find my way back, in case of emergency.

After some minutes, the path opened up, and I saw some run-down wooden shacks. We had arrived. Some men were sitting outside, around a table, with a guitar, and I am quickly introduced to around 20 people who all share a huge smile and a lot of warmth. I was with a huge family of Filipino fisherman in the town of Semporna, in the island of Borneo. As time went past, the songs never stopped, ranging from typical Filipino ones, to alternative versions of rock classics. As the rain stopped, fish was barbecued on a metal plaque, and the home-made coconut wine quickly started taking its toll, with people becoming way too cheerful. The fact that my birthday was in a couple of days only contributed to them opening up even more, for an amazing happy birthday being sung in a plethora of languages, and for me being offered a beautiful necklace – and a possible wife, Biri's sister, which I politely declined.
I learned, I absorbed all I could. As much as I have traveled, setting out to explore a country is in no way similar to moving your whole family permanently, striving for a better life, no matter how humble your living conditions might be. I was one of them, that night, unlike the many other tourists they had invited, all of them having refused the invitation.

Many hours had passed. The voices were becoming hoarse. People were having trouble being in full control of their actions. I was offered a bed where to spend the night, but we instead shared some final words and I went back through the same muddy offbeat path; this time, without a worry in the world.