As we prepared for our wedding, Atsushi and I both held this hope dearly between us – that I would be able to work as an engineer again, after settling in Japan. For somebody who really loves her career (and I hope my career loves me back twofold haha), I was teary-eyed when hubby told me it makes him proud to have an “engineer wife”. A lot of factors could hinder me from working again. And so I prepared myself to that possible reality. But our fervent prayers were answered; from tomorrow, I will no longer be a shifu or housewife and will work again as a Process Engineer.

But if truth be told, I am nervous, for reasons that I really couldn’t quite fathom. Hubby has been reminding me of the reasons why I need not fret in that our talk always ends up with me blushing and hugging him or me squeezing his hand because of happiness that my husband (and our colleagues as well, he argues) believes in my capabilities.

I’ll be working at a company that is both old and new to me.

Old, because I have been previously assigned here; sent here to work from Manila. Hence, I already know the nooks and crannies of the office (well, except the 36th floor which is for the CEOs and top management).

But new, because this time, I will not be working as somebody assigned from our branch office in another country but as somebody who is already based here in Japan.

Old, because I have already worked with a number of colleagues in the company and ergo I know a lot of people already.

But new, because the first project I will be involved in are composed of engineers that I haven’t worked with before.

I will be meeting again a lot of colleagues who wished me fare well during my last assignment here, two years back; colleagues who kept on asking me when I am going to marry and to whom I replied that I have no plans to get married and to which they would reply back it’s mottainai.

So again new, because the last time I was in the Yokohama office, I was very much a single. But I’m coming back now, very much a missus.

Nervous, yes. But nonetheless, very excited.

To God be the glory.