This post is mainly for tourists who are interested in cosmetics!
So this time, I’m writing the blog in both English and Japanese.

本日のブログは、香港を訪れるコスメ好きの方に向けてです！

なので今回は英語と日本語で書いていきますね。

Have you heard of The Ordinary?

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand launched in 2016.
Its standout feature is offering high-performance ingredients at affordable prices.

If you’re into skincare, you’ve probably heard of it.
If not... well, just Google it—there are tons of websites that explain it way better than I ever could!

The Ordinaryというブランドをご存じでしょうか？

The Ordinaryは2016年にカナダ発のスキンケアブランドとして誕生しました。

最大の特徴は高濃度の有効成分を非常に手ごろな価格で提供している事です。

スキンケアに興味がある方は聞いたことがあるのではないでしょうか？

聞いたことがなければGoogle検索してみてください…私が説明するよりももっといい記事がたくさん見つかるので(笑)

Anyway, in Japan, there’s no physical store for The Ordinary.
You can buy their products online, but they’re not exactly “affordable.”

So if you’re visiting Hong Kong, why not grab a few while you’re here?

They’re sold at many local pharmacies, but if you want the best price, head to the official store!

The location: The Ordinary Times Square CWB - Google マップ

It is located inside Times Square at Causeway Bay(銅鑼灣) station.

If you’re in Hong Kong, you can’t miss the famous Times Square, right?
So why not stop by the store, save some money, and make a fun little memory?

現在のところ、日本にはThe Ordinaryの実店舗がないようです。

(＊成分の配合が日本の認可基準を上回っている商品も一部あります！使用に気を付ける必要がありますが高い効果が期待できますよ。)

日本ではオンラインで購入できますが、The Ordinaryが提供する実際の「手頃な価格」からは少し離れてしまっています…。

香港には実店舗があるので、香港を訪れる際に立ち寄ってみてはいかがでしょうか？

ローカルの薬局にもいくつか売っていますが、より多くの商品をベストプライスで買うなら、やはり公式店舗です！

銅鑼灣(コーズウェイベイ)駅のタイムズスクエアに店舗があります。

(タイムズスクエア内というより、駅中って感じなので、駅からエレベーターで上がって2階です。実際で言うと地下1階？)

タイムズスクエアも香港の名所なので、訪れる際には是非、The Ordinaryに立ち寄ってみてください！

I bought two items yesterday at the official The Ordinary store—with a 23% discount!

Here were the original prices:

• Lactic Acid 10% + HA: HK$79 (approx. ¥1,562)
• Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: HK$88 (approx. ¥1,740)

If you buy them online in Japan, the prices are roughly as follows...

昨日は乳酸10%+ヒアルロン酸の美容液と、ナイアシンアミド10％＋亜鉛1％の美容液を買ってみました。

元の価格はHK$79とHK$88でしたが、そこから23%オフだったので、さらに安く買えました！

日本で買うと↓なので、かなりいい買い物ができたんじゃないかな～

For the record, there’s a place called Hashtag B—very popular for its egg tarts!

Hashtag B (Causeway Bay) - Google マップ

The one near Tsim Sha Tsui (尖沙咀) station is always packed with people,so I recommend going to the Causeway Bay location instead.

ちなみに、エッグタルトで有名なハッシュタグBというお店が近くにあります。

尖沙咀(チムサーチョイ)駅近くにもありますが、こちらはいつも長蛇の列なので、銅鑼灣(コーズウェイベイ)で買うのがオススメですよ。

Hong Kong may be known for its high cost of living, but there are still plenty of cosmetics you can get for way cheaper than in Japan.
I’ll keep sharing more of these great finds in future posts!

香港は物価が高いのですが、日本より圧倒的に安く買えるコスメが他にも沢山あるので、今後も紹介していきたいと思います！

It seems like many people are interested in trekking trails in Hong Kong.
So today, I’d like to introduce one of my favorites: Mount Parker Road Green Trail (柏架山道自然徑).

Just a heads-up—I’m not a hiking pro or anything! 😅

As I mentioned the other day, I go there pretty often.
It’s about a 40-minute walk, and you’ll be rewarded with some lovely views!

Here is the entrance to the trail: 柏架山道自然徑 - Google マップ

The nearest stations are Tai Koo (太古) and Quarry Bay (鰂魚涌).
There’s a sign that says “Mount Parker Road Green Trail (柏架山道自然徑),” so it’s easy to find.

Just a 5-minute walk from here, you’ll find a famous tourist spot called Monster Mansion.
It was used as a filming location for movies like Transformers and Ghost in the Shell.
Now it’s one of the most popular photo spots in Hong Kong.

​​​​​​

↑Monster Mansion

After about 30 minutes on the trail, you’ll reach a scenic viewpoint like the one below.
There’s also a restroom nearby.

If you’re visiting Hong Kong, I’m sure you’ve got a long list of places to see—so a one-hour hike here is just right for a quick nature escape.

If you’d like more details, feel free to leave a comment!

(I wanted to take some photos myself, but the weather wasn’t great... so I borrowed one from Google Maps. Hope that’s okay!)

If you’re a nature lover, you’ll enjoy spotting unique plants and insects along the trail—ones you wouldn’t normally see in Japan.

Unknown fruits, colorful butterflies, dangerous reptiles, and wild boars...

But my personal favorite? Dogs.

I mean, so many people hike with their dogs here.
Sometimes you’ll see breeds you rarely come across in Japan.

My 28th year kicked off with gastroenteritis 🎉💩

Not exactly the birthday gift I had in mind.

After coming back from a long hike to Tai Mo Shan, the highest mountain in Hong Kong.

I joined a Japanese hiking club here for the first time, and everyone was so friendly and full of energy!

The hike itself was amazing, but my body was completely worn out.

That night, my stomach decided to throw a party of its own... and I ended up with gastroenteritis.

Well, I'm feeling better now.

I still have diarrhea, but no fever!

Let me share a few things I want...coz it was my birthday.

I know you're probably thinking, "Who cares?" 

But hey—calm down. 

Maybe this list will help you pick a gift for your girlfriend or someone you love!

First on my wish list: a Hermès Twilly.

The specific one I’m obsessed with is Arné de Coeur—the orange version.

Twilly 《アルネ・ドゥ・クール》 - オレンジ | Hermès - エルメス-公式サイト

Now, don’t get me wrong!
I’m far from rich, and I’m definitely not one of those brand-loving fashionistas.
But just look at these gorgeous patterns!
I’m simply fascinated by the art.

The designer is a Japanese man—Daisuke Nomura.
He’s actually the only Japanese designer at Hermès.

エルメス唯一の日本人デザイナー・野村大輔氏に突撃取材！ | MEN'S EX ONLINE |

I constantly check Twillys and scarves online.
Even though they’re ridiculously expensive, I just want to appreciate the artistry.

(Well, Twilly aren’t that expensive compared to other items, so I highly recommend them as a gift!)

So I’ve made up my mind: I’ll buy this one with my first salary in Hong Kong!!
I’m even growing my hair out so I can wear it like the model on the website.

My only concern? It might sell out.
About six months ago, I went to the store and it wasn’t there.
But a few days ago—I went again—and it was there!!!!!!!!
And guess what? I didn’t buy it.
I’m such a freaking loser...
But I swear, I’ll get it so soon!!

Second on my wish list: a Hermès scarf.

エルサ・ペレッティ™ カーブド バンド リング プラチナ | Tiffany & Co.

OMG... it probably looks like I’m obsessed with luxury brands—but I swear I’m not!

Buying a piece of Tiffany jewelry is actually on my bucket list.

I want it to have a special meaning, like a wedding ring.

So I’ll buy it for myself—as a kind of “swear ring,” like, I love myself.

I know, people might laugh... but have you ever thought about how hard it is to truly love yourself?

Well, anyway—I’ll probably buy it in five years or so.

kicked off ：蹴とばす、(試合、イベント、仕事、会議など)始める、始まる、幕を開ける

gastroenteritis：胃腸炎

be worn out：擦り切れている、疲弊している、疲れ切っている、憔悴する

throw：物を投げる、面食らわせる、(パーティーなどを)催す、(試合を)落とす、負ける

of one's own：自分自身の

diarrhea：下痢

be obsessed with～：～で頭がいっぱいになる、夢中である、執着している

don’t get me wrong!：誤解しないでね
fashionista：最新ファッションに敏感な人
be fascinated by～：～に魅了される

constantly：絶えず、何度も、しょっちゅう
even though：～にもかかわらず、～であるにしても

ridiculously：馬鹿みたいに

artistry：芸術性

make up one's mind：決心する
grow one's hair out：髪を伸ばす

be torn between：2つの間で悩む
stunning：見事な、美しい、すばらしい

swear：誓う

a piece of  jewelry ：ジュエリーは不可算なのでa piece ofを使う

have you ever thought about～：～と思ったことはある？(定型文)

One of my habits is walking in the morning.

Since I'm not working right now and have plenty of free time, I go out for a walk almost every morning.

My favorite walking course is a trekking trail near our apartment.
It's called the Mount Parker Road Green Trail (柏架山道自然徑).

Mount Paker Rd Green Trail - Google マップ

Many people think Hong Kong is nothing but a city full of super tall buildings.
But that's not true — there are actually many beautiful natural spots!

I'm not really a city girl.
I was born and raised in the countryside, so I love nature.
I prefer living in a place surrounded by greenery.

That's why Hong Kong is a great place for me.

Now, let me show you how beautiful the Mount Parker Road Green Trail is.

If you go there — or to any other trekking trails in Hong Kong — be aware of wild boars!

Encounters with wild boars are almost inevitable.
Every time I go, I see at least one.

They’re not really afraid of humans.
In fact, most people walking there are used to them, too.
Just stay calm, ignore them, and walk past.

It seems like people in Hong Kong love nature, as many enjoy walking along trails.

So, even if you go there alone and get attacked by a wild boar by chance, you'll be rescued very quickly.

(Just hope it’s not gonna happen anyway...)

Well, I go there every morning and encounter wild boars every time, but I’ve never been attacked by them.

But stay on your guard when you enter nature.

In Ehime, there is the highest mountain in western Japan, called Mt. Ishizuchi (石鎚山).

When I was a kid, my mom often took me there for climbing, skiing, and other outdoor activities.

She always gave me some chocolates and candies, just in case I got lost.

Nature is incredibly beautiful and majestic, but it can be scary at the same time.

So even now, I definitely bring some snacks with me when I go trekking — even if it’s just a one-hour walk.

habit：習慣、癖

plenty：たくさんの(＊aは付かない)

nothing but～：～に過ぎない、～以外何もない

full of～：～でいっぱいである

greenery：緑の草木、緑樹、(自然の)緑、環境に対する関心、温室(例：greenery business緑化事業)

wild boar：イノシシ

encounter with ～：～との出会い、遭遇

inevitable：(形)避けられない、防げない

in fact：実のところ、要するに、つまり

be used to～：～に慣れる
stay calm：落ち着いて

walk past：～の傍を過ぎる

as：～なので、だから(becauseなどと比較してasは少し柔らかく、自然な流れで理由を添えるときによく使われる)

by chance：偶然、たまたま

gonna：going toの省略形

outdoor activity：野外活動

get lost：迷子になる、遭難する

majestic：壮大な

I went to the theater to watch Chainsaw Man.
It was absolutely amazing!

It was released in Hong Kong on September 25.

(In mainland China, it's not released.)
My husband and I went to see it in the morning.

Almost everything is expensive in Hong Kong, but a morning movie ticket is only HK$60!
Even compared to Japan, I think that's pretty cheap.

Well, the movie… you really should watch it!
It’s absolutely worth watching.

The animation is awesome, of course, but the opening and ending songs are amazing too!
If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re missing out big time—both in life and money!
Just watch it and be proud you’re investing in Japanese nerd culture!

Okay, maybe I’m getting a bit carried away.

Spoiler Alert!
The heroine—and also the antagonist—of this movie is Reze. 

She’s nothing short of beautiful.
The ending is heartbreaking… but there’s a glimmer of hope in the final scene.
Denji, the main character, asks her to run away with him and says, “I’ll wait for you at the café,” even after she attacked and injured him.
She ignores him and walks away.
In the next scene, she’s at the train station, seemingly ready to escape, while Denji is packing up and heading to the café.
But Reze doesn’t board the train.
She simply watches it pass by, and in the following scene, she’s running toward the café.
Just as she’s about to reach it, Makima—Denji’s boss—appears and attacks her.
Reze sees Denji inside the café and, in her final moment, thinks to herself, “Denji… actually, I’ve never been to school either.”
And then she dies.
Ohhhhh, I could cry!!

To be honest, I watched the Chainsaw Man anime and enjoyed it, but I wasn’t really into it at first.
Now, I can’t stop thinking about it—and I’ve been listening to “IRIS OUT” every single day.
Anyway, I’ll share more of my nerdy stuff next time

worth ~ing：～する価値がある
miss out：～を見逃す 
nerd ：オタク

get carried away：調子に乗る

Spoiler Alert：ネタバレ注意(spoiler：ネタバレ、阻害する人、略奪者)
antagonist：敵対者、競争相手

nothing short of：まさに～に他ならない
glimmer：チラチラする光、薄い光、わずかな兆し
run away：逃げる

seemingly：一見したところ、見たところ
pass by：通り過ぎる、(時が)過ぎ去る

(＊She simply watches it pass by.という文章について、これは英語の文法問題で「知覚動詞（see, hear, watchなど）」のあとに目的語＋動詞の原形（bare infinitive）を使うというルールがあるので、it passes byとはならない。)
thinks to oneself：(声に出さずに)心の中で思う、ひそかに考える
can’t stop ～ing ：～することを止められない、～に夢中だ

every single day：来る日も来る日も、毎日毎日
more of：より多くの

I finally got a job in Hong Kong—yaaaaay!

But now I’m facing a big problem… the visa.

Right now, I’m staying in Hong Kong as a tourist.

I was hoping that my husband’s company could help me get a visa.

However, due to his company's business regulations, they can't apply for a visa for spouses who work in Hong Kong.

(Note: You can work in Hong Kong with a dependent visa.)

So, my task now is to apply for a dependant visa!

What a pain!

Anyway, getting a Hong Kong visa is actually quite easy.

You can apply online, and the expected processing time is only about six weeks.

Here’s the link:
Online Services | Immigration Department

If you're interested in getting a visa—or planning to apply soon—be sure to check it out!

Oh, that website doesn’t have a Japanese translation...

[FYR]

To apply for a visa, the following documents are required. 

Each document type has a maximum number of files you can upload online:

Applicant

1. Valid travel document of the applicant
   This should include personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry, and details of any re-entry visa (if applicable).
   If the applicant is currently staying in Hong Kong, include the page showing the latest arrival stamp, landing slip, evidence of stay label, and any recently used e-Visa (if applicable).
   Mainland Chinese residents without a valid travel document must submit their PRC resident identity card.
2. Recent photograph of the applicant
3. Hong Kong identity card of the applicant (if any)
4. Proof of relationship with the sponsor
   Examples include marriage certificate, birth certificate, statutory declaration, adoption certificate, census record book, and Privilege Card for Single Child (if applicable).

I've come back to Hong Kong!
I wish I could have stayed in Japan a bit longer...
Anyway, I’ve got a job interview coming up.

I received some emails from the company I applied to.
They’ve invited me to an interview on the 9th.
I'm freaking nervous...
No doubt, every question will be in English, and I have zero confidence that I can answer them all!

Even in Japanese, I wasn’t good at interviews… even after tons of experience.
Sometimes I lose track of what I’m saying and end up creating awkward moments.
Well, whatever happens, happens.
I’ll just give it a shot.

As I’ve been researching, I found that there are several basic job interview questions—pretty much the same as those asked by Japanese companies.

For example:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why are you interested in our company?
3. What has been your greatest challenge in the workplace, and how did you overcome it?
4. What is your greatest weakness?

Right now, I’m trying to memorize all the answers I’ve prepared.
But honestly, I have no idea what they’ll actually ask.

coming up：近づく、達する

applied to：～に適用する、～に塗布する、～に申請する、申し込む
freaking：いまいましい、酷い、すごく

confidence：信頼、信用、自身

lose track of：～を追いかけていて見失う、～の現状がわからなくなる、～から注意がそれる

awkward：不器用な、気まずい

overcome：(困難・障害を)克服する、乗り越える、打ち勝つ

I've temporarily come back to Japan!
It's been a month since I was last here.

There's a little story behind my return...
Let me share it with you.

First things first—I was supposed to come back to Japan on the 23rd, but my flight was canceled due to a typhoon.
So I had no choice but to reschedule.

Unfortunately, the next two days were fully booked, so I ended up flying on the 26th.

It takes about an hour to get to Hong Kong International Airport by bus, and the bus stop is right behind our apartment.
I usually catch the bus around 6:30 AM and arrive at the airport at least two hours before boarding.

Those hours are pretty boring... I just kill time browsing souvenir shops and luxury stores without buying anything.

So this time, I thought, "Hmm, I don’t wanna wake up early and wander around the airport aimlessly... Let’s sleep in and avoid being a rude passenger."

I woke up at 6:30 AM, caught the bus at 7:20, and arrived at the airport by 8:20.

I was like, "Yes! I’m right on time."

As usual, I tried to check in at the machine in front of the counter, but somehow it said, "No seat available. Please contact a staff member."
I was like, "Oh no... maybe I can't go back to Japan..."

I spoke to a staff member, and he told me to line up at the check-in counter—which had a ridiculously long line!

While I was stuck in that snake-like queue, a young staff member started shouting, "Final call for the Takamatsu flight!

Just in time, my husband called me.
I told him what was going on, and he advised me to talk to the young staff member.

Following his advice, I spoke to the guy—and he took me straight to the front of the line!

All the staff seemed pretty stressed, trying to handle a flood of customers.

I explained my schedule and did a bit of negotiating with one of them to secure my seat.

After about 20 minutes, I finally got my ticket. 

It said the boarding time was 9:15.

I was like, "Dang it! It’s already 9:00!"

If you've ever been to Hong Kong International Airport, you probably know you need to take an internal train to reach your gate.
(Sometimes it's a bus instead...)
So it takes at least 15 minutes.

I passed through security and immigration smoothly... or at least, I wish I could say that.
Unfortunately, I got stopped at the security check, and the staff asked, “Japanese or English?”

I replied, “Either is fine.”
But she was like, “Japanese?”

Come on... she showed me a sheet of paper, and it was written in both languages.
Why even ask me!?

Anyway, I had to go through an extra body check, but I made it through.

(As for immigration—well, that’s a whole other story, but I’ll skip it for now.)

After all that, I managed to arrive at the gate exactly at 9:15.
I made it!

And I even had time to grab a Starbucks to take on the plane.

What I learned from this experience is:

"Even if it means being a slightly rude customer, it's better to wake up early to catch your flight."

(My name is on it...who cares.)

temporarily：一時的に

It's been a~：～ぶり(例：It’s been a while. 久しぶり)

first things first：まず第一に、重要なことからやりなさい、物事には順序がある

due to~：～が原因で、(be) due to~で～することになっている

have no choice but to (動詞の原形)：～する以外に選択肢がない

get to~：～に着く

kill time：時間をつぶす

browse：ざっと見る、(インターネットで/店内を)見て回る

wander around：あちこち歩きまわる、さまよい歩く

aimlessly：目的もなく、あてどなく

sleep in：～で寝る、遅くまで寝る、ゆっくり寝る、朝寝坊する、寝過ごす、(雇人が)住み込みである

avoid：～を避ける

grumpy：失礼な

right on time：時間ぴったり

as usual：いつも通り

line up：並ぶ、列に加わる、(位置を)調整する、準備する

ridiculously：ばかばかしいほど

stuck in：～にはまり込んで抜け出せない、閉じ込められる

queue：待ち列、おさげ髪

shout：叫ぶ

final call：(募集などの)最終案内

Just in time：いよいよと言う時に、ぎりぎりの時間に、ちょうどよい時に

seem：～のように見える

(＊lookとの違い：seemは主観的な印象で、目に見えないことも含む。lookは視覚的な印象で、目に見えるものに限定される。)

handle：対処する、処理する

a flood of：～の殺到、膨大な、山のような

Dang it：畜生！(＊Fワードには該当しない、上品なスラング(よく使う…))

've (ever) been to ~：～に行ったことがある

at least：少なくとも、せめて～だったらよかったのに

I wish I could(動詞の原形)：～だったら良かったのに

get stopped：(警察官、セキュリティなどに)引っかかる、止められる

either：どちらか一方の…either A or B (AかBのどちらか)

come on：おいで、早く早く、頑張れ、しっかりしろ、いい加減にしろ

go through：通り抜ける、通過する、体験する

as for：～はどうかと言うと、～に関しては

managed to (動詞の原形)：何とか～する
make it：うまくいく、成し遂げる

grab：(もの・人・機会を)引っ掴む、素早く手に入れる、(人の心を)とらえる、横取りする

take on：⑧乗り物などに積み込む

even if：たとえ～だとしても 

slightly：わずかに、ちょっと

There are many nationalities in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong people, Chinese, Filipinos, Americans, Europeans… anyway, many different nationalities live in this tiny, densely packed place.

Hong Kong is smaller than the whole Tokyo area and about the same size as Sapporo City.

The population is 7,527,500 — almost the same as Osaka City.

In conclusion, Hong Kong is small for its population!

Well, anyway — Hong Kong people (not just people who live in Hong Kong) speak Cantonese.

It’s different from Mandarin.

As my Chinese husband says, it’s kind of like the difference between standard Japanese and the Okinawan dialect.

The big difference is that Cantonese has 6 to 9 tones, while Mandarin has 4.

(1 is just enough— obviously. 4 is too much! 9? It's just insane! Who needs that many tones?)

And some words are completely different, too.

So usually, my husband speaks to people in Mandarin and English.

Me? Only English. How pathetic!

I never imagined I’d need to learn both — and honestly, I still don’t intend to.

In fact, I took a Chinese language class at university — before I met my husband. 

But it was just for the credit!

My Chinese sucks!

I know, I should have learned… but once you become able to speak English, you end up relying on this useful language everywhere.

Not every Hong Kong people can speak English, but I’d guess approximately 70% of them do.

Especially younger generations or people working for large companies tend to be very good at English.

The same goes for Mandarin.

Interestingly, some restaurants and cafés hire staff who can’t speak Cantonese or Chinese at all!

You know, these days a lot of non-Japanese employees are working in Japan — convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, construction sites, care facilities — everywhere.

In some places, fluent Japanese isn’t even required.

However, in customer-facing businesses like restaurants and hotels, high-level Japanese is usually expected.

And they actually do pretty well!

Back to Hong Kong — if you go to a fancy Italian restaurant and try to order in Cantonese or Mandarin, you’ll probably fail… because the waitress is Italian!

nationality：国籍

European：ヨーロッパ(人)の

tiny：ちっぽけな

densely：(副)密集して(＊dense：濃い、高密度の)

whole：すべて、全体(＊entireも同じ意味だけど、よりフォーマルで抽象的なものにも使える)

7,527,500：Seven million, five hundred twenty-seven thousand, five hundred

million：100万

a hundred thousand：10万

ten thousand：1万

in conclusion：結論として、要するに

Cantonese：広東語

Mandarin：標準中国語

imagine：想像する、心に思い描く、推測する

kind of~：～のような(＊話し言葉では省略してkindaと言う)

dialect：方言

while：(名)期間、(接)①～の間、～する間に②その一方、～だが③その上、さらに

obviously：(副)明らかに、もちろん

insane：馬鹿げた、正気じゃない(＊話し言葉)

pathetic：惨めな

never imagined (that)＋ (過去形)：(that以下)とは思いもしなかった

(例：I never imagined that this would happen.まさかこんなことになるとは。 I never imagined I'd see you again.あなたにまた会えるとは思いませんでした。)

intend to：～するつもりだ

in fact：実のところ、要するに、つまり、(いや)むしろ・それどころか

credit：単位

suck：(動)①吸う、しゃぶる⑤最低、最悪、非常にムカつく(＊俗語)

end up ~ing：結局～になる、～することになる

rely on~：～に頼る

approximately：およそ

go for～：③～に当てはまる

construction site：工事現場

care facility：介護施設

fancy：豪華な

fail：不合格、失敗する

As I mentioned on the previous page, I live in a monthly hotel with my husband.

A monthly hotel... huh?

I suppose living in a monthly hotel is quite common in Hong Kong.
It’s called a monthly hotel, but it’s basically like an apartment with room service.

Cleaning service is provided every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

(Needless to say, you can’t expect the level of cleaning service you’d get in Japan.)
On those days, bed sheets, pillowcases, and towels are changed, and toilet paper is refilled.

Residents do their own laundry and cooking.
(There is a laundry service available, but it costs extra.)

Laundry machines and dryers are located inside the building.
This hotel doesn’t have a balcony, so we can’t dry clothes outside.
Well, in general, not many people hang laundry outside in Hong Kong because the air isn’t very clean...

I grew up in the countryside of Japan, so for more than two decades I did laundry using my own washing machine and hung clothes outside in the sun!

Now I do laundry for 20 HK$ each time!

Well, it’s only the two of us, and the hotel provides us with some towels, so we don’t do laundry every day.

But still, I’m like, “Oh man, maybe city life in Tokyo or somewhere is also like this… huh?”

And everyone must be curious about the current miserable carpet situation, right?

Surprise, surprise — the gigantic dehumidifier was removed, but it’s still wet, and the repair workers haven’t come yet!

Like I said, you just can’t expect excellent cleaning service in Hong Kong.

provide：供給する、提供する、(機会を)与える

needless to say：言うまでもなく

resident：住居者

laundry：(名)汚れた衣類、洗濯物(洗濯が終わった)洗濯物、クリーニング店、洗濯場、洗濯すること

available：利用可能で、在庫としてある、空いている、手が空いている、対応できる

extra：(形)余分な、追加の、割増の(名)余分なもの、追加のもの、追加料金、別料金(副)特別に、余分に、普通以上に

in general：一般的に、通例

grow up：成長する、大人になる

(＊Grow up！もっと大人になりなさい、いい年こいて全く)

decade：10年　(例：two decades 20年)

washing machine：洗濯機(＝wash machine、laundry machine)

for~$：～ドルで　(例：for 20$ a month 月20ドルで)

each time：～するたびに、毎回

provide A with B：AにBを供給する

be curious about~：～に興味がある、興味津々で

miserable：惨めな

gigantic：非常に巨大な