Recruit Suit

Sarah had no recruit suit

I have a woman in my class this month that is very interesting. Her parents are Korean but she was raised in Japan. She's Korean Japanese. She looks Korean, but speaks and dresses like Japanese. She is very smart and after a little shyness opens up and becomes everyone's friend. The first day of class I asked all my students to dress "like a teacher" for their final lesson. I ask guys to wear ties and women to dress nicely (I never tell a woman how to dress). At that time this girl was very nervous and didn't really understand what I meant. She had thought I wanted her to dress like she was having an interview. She meekly raised her hand and said she didn't have nice clothes because she was here temporarily while going to language school. I said that was fine and it was only a recommendation. The next class she was dressed nicely and I asked why she said she didn't have nice clothes to wear when she was teaching (the previous classes she had worn jeans). She looked at me with a puzzled expression. I didn't push the point. At today's class she also dressed very nicely. I asked her about it again.

Sam in his recruit suit

She told me she thought I wanted her to wear a "Recruit Suit". I told her I didn't understand what that meant. She said it again, and it sounded funny when she said it (say it rolling the R). I told her that wasn't English, it might be Japlish (Japanese English). She was shocked to hear that. She searched the internet until she found a picture of a "recruit suit". It was a woman's suit. I told her we call it a suit. Matching jacket and skirt or pants in a nice material is the picture she showed me. I wondered what a "recruit suit" was. She said people bought one when they were looking for a job. I asked what the difference was between a recruit suit and a regular suit.

Alice only had a dress no recruit suit

She said a regular suit that women wear to a job is black and a recruit suit can be any color. I asked what they did with the recruit suit after they got the job. She said she didn't know because she was never successful in finding a job. I looked at her and made the suggestion that maybe her recruit suit was not working and she should get another one. I could see her mind working. I asked again what people do with a recruit suit after they get a job. She said her friends have either given theirs away or put it in their closet until they look for another job. It is fun to find out about traditions in other countries.