Therewere a lotofRussianmodels, and I thinkitwasmostlybecauseofthecannondollishlikefeatures.
Soitwasanamazingmarketforsomeonelikemewasnotverytallbecausetheydidn't reallycareaboutthatmuchthewayitusedtobethatyouwouldsign a contractforabout 30 days, 60 days.
I wenttheremyfirsttimefor a month.
Theygiveyoukindof a promiseamountthatyouwillcomebackhomewith.
I gotonthatplane.
I wassoscaredandsoconfused.
I wasn't eventhinkingtwiceaboutthefactthatham 16 yearsold, goingto a countrydon't reallyknowwhat's goingon, what I'm doing, where I'm going, who I'm gonnabewith.
Let's alsomentionthefactthat I wenttherefor a monthwith $20 inmypocketbecause I didn't havemoneyor I hadmoneyandspentitbecauseitwasn't verysmartwithfinancebackthen.
Paris.
WhenyouarriveinagencymeetsyouthereinTokyo.
Itwasn't thecase.
Theyjust e mailedmetheaddress I needtogettoandthat's it.
When I wasontheplane, itdidn't dawnonmethat I don't havemoneytogettothatplace.
So I justrememberthat I wassittingbesidethisyoungguy.
Westartedtalking.
Hewastellingmehowhisfriendswerecomingtopickhimup, and I waslike, Listen, canyougiveme a ride?
Byanychance, I havenoideawhere I'm goingorwhat I'm doing, and I don't haveenoughmoneytoget a taxi.
He's like, Sure, I didn't rememberthatdetailedanditjusthitmethatthat's whathappened.
That's how I arrivedfromtheairporttothemodelapartmentthat I had, like, sodangerous.
Whatthehellwas I thinking?
Thankfully, theyweresuperhelpful.
Sonicetheygotmetowhere I neededtobe.
Andthenthey'relike, Bye, I gotto.
TheagencyagencywasinRepublican.
Everypunk.
It's kindoflikethetouristyarea, sothere's a lotofpeoplefromdifferentpartsoftheworld.
Ah, lotofthemodel's apartmentonthere.
It's kindoflike a centralareaforthat.
I arrestedtheagencyagain.
There's such a bigcontrastbetweenthecultures, language, barrierandjustlikethecustomsofJapanesepeopleandwhat I wasusedto, I didn't reallyknowwhattodo.
I justkeptbowingtoeverybodythatgotmeby.
I'm notgonnalive.
Theapartmentsweresufficient.
Therewasenoughspaceforeverybody.
Myfirstroommate, Waas a girl.
I thinkhernamewasill.
Vera?
Yes.
Andshewasfrom a placeinRussia.
Don't rememberwhere.
Shewasveryyoungaswell.
No, Myfirstroommatewas a Canadiangirl.
HernameisErika, and I actuallythink I stillhaveheronFacebookwhenshelivesinCanada.
Shegotmarriedonthebaby.
Shewasmyfirstroommate.
Now I remember I felt a connectiontoherbecauseatthatpointmymotheralreadymovedtoCanada.
So I waslike, Oh, Canada, Canadian.
Shewasreallysweet.
Shewasanexperiencedmodel.
Shelikenew, youknow, theinsandoutsoftheindustry.
I havegoodmemoriesofher.
Thenfinepartbeganwhentheagencywaslike, Oh, youhave a jobtomorrowSothatwasthedayafter I landedand I wassoconfused.
I waslike, Well, I haven't reallygottentocastingslikeyoualreadybookedme.
They'relike, Yeah, I gettothejob 16 yearoldlost, confusedand I lookyoungtoyouguys.
Nowcanyouimaginethebabyface I hadwhen I was 16?
Myfirstjob?
Waas a catalogueforpregnancyclothes.
Thatwas a reallyinterestingexperience.
Theyput a bellyonmeand I wasjustItwassomethingarrived.
When I thinkaboutTokyo, I justhavealltheseflashesofmemories, thesekindofexperiencesthatweresoawesome, sofunny, sodifferent.
So, likewhat?
Thefactthat I lookedyoungwasn't a negativelikeIwasinotherpartsoftheworld.
Sobasicallymyfirstjobwaspregnancy.
Clothes, I remember, wasprettyinterestingagain.
Youcanreallycommunicate.
They'rejustkindofsignalyouwithyourhands.
Okay, youalonesaid, giveyouclothes.
ThewayitworksinTokyoworkedbeforeinTokyowasthateveryday, unlessyouhave a jobwheretheclientwillpickyouupandtakeyouthere.
Youmeeteverymorningat, likeeightor 9 a.m. Downstairsthere's a minivanwith a driverandanagent, andthere's oldgirlsthataregoingtothecasting.
Soit's basicallylike a littlemodelbusthathasstopsatcastingsomecastingsandpartofothersnot, andthemanagerofthefront.
Itwasverylikestructuredsituation, which I appreciated.
Itwasn't kindoflikeHere's a mapGo, whichwasinParistheretheyobviouslyunderstoodthat a lotofus, firstofall, don't speakthelanguage, canreadanything, sotheykindoftookmorecareofus, anditwas a nicespecialbecausethereweresomanyyounggirls.
Wewouldstopit a castinghe'llcalllikeOkay, malaria, Lana, Ericaandthosearethegirlsthatwouldgotothecasting, andthenwegobacktothevanandcontinuetothenextdestination, andthatwillgoupuntilprobablyfourorfivePMSomethingsix.