So says Rashidat Amanda Oumiya, the lovely subject of the third (and last...for now) instalment in my black women married to Japanese men, raising biracial children series for my column, BLACK EYE in the Japan Times. BTW if you haven't read the first and second instalments, they're must reads! Here are the links:

Part 1: Women of Color Bound To Japan by Love And Family

Part 2: Are You Serious God? An Asian Dude? Really?

Each of these women has proven to be a wealth of information and insight... I want to thank Amanda for allowing me to get up-close and personal and for sharing her thoughts and feelings so candidly for the benefit of others who might one day find themselves in similar situations. Here's an excerpt:

“A lot of hospitals have a weight limit. Even for Japanese women it’s super-stressful. There are women here who are dieting before their doctor appointments because they fear the doctors will give them hell for gaining too much weight. In fact, the reason my daughter was born the day she was is because she was induced a week early. The doctors didn’t want me to gain any more weight. “It’s also rough when you have to see Japanese women when they’re pregnant and half the time they don’t even look pregnant,” she adds. “At one of my appointments there was a lady who was going into labor and I didn’t even realize she was pregnant. And me being naturally bigger, I felt like I was always being compared to them.”

For the rest of Amanda's amazing story click the link below:

Part 3: Don't Sell Your Soul For a Japanese Man

And if you dig what she has to say, she also has a Blog on Tumblr and a Youtube Channel you'll definitely wanna check out. I feel so blessed to have made the acquaintance of Avril, Tara and Amanda! Thank you so much you guys!

*****

PS: As I mentioned, this will conclude my series...for now. The response has been tremendous, way beyond my expectations, so thank you all! Next month stay tuned for something I'm sure you'll find...let's just say appetizing! PPS: Sign-up for my mailchimp Locohama Newsletter and you'll be the first to know about upcoming stuff, be kept up on happenings in this part of the world, and a lot of exclusive content as well...