Japanese modesty

I have several pet peeves.  One of them has bothered me since I first encountered it 16 years ago and still really gets under my skin.  Most times I can ignore it, but when it stares me in the face, it drives me bonkers.

Yesterday my husband received an email notifying us that the school had secured a translator for me for the upcoming PTA meeting.  I didn't have the meeting in my calendar because I don't understand anything spoken at the meetings.  Instead, I typically grab the handouts afterwards and simply pass them to my husband.  Since they secured the translator, I felt obligated to go.  Luckily I didn't have any plans for today.

At 12:50 I showed up to the school for the PTA meeting.  There were several other mothers in attendance (not a single dad).  The Vice Principal saw me and motioned me over.  She indicated where I should sit, which had a square of origami paper on it to save the seat and the one next to it.  After removing my coat and settling in, my translator appeared. 

She introduced herself and sat down.  At that point she leaned in and smiled.  She said "I'm sorry that my English isn't very good."  I sat in stunned silence for a quick moment.  I then smiled and asked if she worked for the city.  She shook her head and said "Oh, no.  I am a volunteer."  While I do appreciate volunteers so much, I wondered why on earth the school would secure a volunteer that doesn't speak English very well as a translator.

She then inquired how long I have lived in Japan.  After telling her that I have been here for a year, she smiled and said "Then you won't need me at all.  Your Japanese is surely better than mine!"  I choked a bit.  She then told me that if I had any questions she would be happy to translate whatever I didn't understand. 

The trouble is, with my horrible Japanese, plus the noise of the room, and how quickly the Principal speaks, I cannot understand a single word in those meetings.  That is why I don't typically attend them!  They are just an hour of me not understanding a single word of what is going on. 

I smiled at her and said "I'm sorry, but I really don't understand anything."  From that moment on, she translated and translated to the best of her abilities.  The thing is, and this is where my pet peeve is revealed, she was a great translator.  I have nicknamed this "Japanese modesty."  And it drives me bonkers.  Simply bonkers. 

I am glad she is good at what she does.  But I wish even more that she had the self confidence to accept that fact.