Yes, it was a Spanish song--the first song that we sang together.

It's a simple translation, really: "Looking for a little bit of love." A Shakira classic, and a song I can thank for permitting me to properly meet Andrea (that's Ahn-Dray-Ah, pronounced with a thick Spanish accent, to be sure, though when I say it it comes out in a bizarre mix of Japanese and English phonetics that just sounds clumsy).

But Andrea, she is amazing, and beautiful, too.

Our shared Saturday morning began with a sunrise over Shinjuku, Tokyo's neon city, viewed from the steps of a tiny ramen shop buried deep within a labyrinth of side streets. As the darkness waned and the sky began to fill with blue; as the trains were starting their engines and workers were preparing for another day; as the nomihodais and all night karaoke bars spilled their patrons into the street like so much vomit... the neon went out finally allowing the sun to emerge unscathed and light the concrete city--we were sitting there, wrapped in Tokyo and wrapped in each other.

We were a part of this place, now.

"Gomenasai!"

But the ramen shop was now opening, and an old woman shooed us away from her steps. Our night was over.

About 6 hours prior we had began: a dozen or more of us ventured to Shinjuku with our trusted Nihonjin for an evening that was promised to be filled with singing, dancing, drinking, shouting, laughing, blah, blah, blah, and everything else that a proper night should consist of. We decided to forgo Roppongi, and instead pay 20$ for unlimited alcohol and all night karaoke.

We sang "Toxic"--twice.

The Russian, Sergei, sang "Back in the U.S.S.R."

The Irish sang U2.

And as for our Japanese friends, they sang "People = Shit," (Apparently SlipKnot has fans, in Japan at least) often substituting their newly acquired American slang into the song. For instance: "People = Turd," "People = Number 2." etc.

But my favorite song of the night was certainly, "Buscando Un Poco De Amor," sang at about 3 a.m.--after which Andrea and I left 'Club 747' for the streets of Shinjuku, in search of nothing.... in search of everything... in search of sunrise.

I think I need to learn Spanish, now.