I had $700 and knew only one person. I spoke no Japanese and it was about two weeks before I met someone with whom I could communicate. It was a huge dose of culture shock, to say the least.

I had no job and no money when I met an elderly Japanese woman whom I think of as my fairy god mother. Eiko organized a construction job for me during the day and hair-cutting parties at night. Because of her I really got on my feet. I still speak to her and visit regularly.

I came to Tokyo in November that year and started working for a restaurant. While I lived in a walk-in closet of a house for four months, I saved money to buy a cellular phone and started letting people know that I cut hair and did massage.

One of the best parts of my job is that no two days are the same. I meet so many interesting people, each with a different story of why they' in Japan. Because I sometimes travel to people's homes or offices to cut their hair, I've come to know Tokyo very well.

I've been cutting hair for twelve years and doing massage for seven. I owned two very successful salons in Perth, opening the first one when I was 22. Tokyo has been tough, but tough is good as it builds character and wisdom. I love living in Tokyo. It has been very rewarding for me. I would never change a thing that has happened. I would do it all again.

Info: You can contact Adam at 090-1999-2159, 7 days a week.