Post Office
Todd: OK, Laura, I'm going to ask you questions about the post office in Hong Kong. OK, or just sending letters. How often do you write letters?
Laura: Well, when I was young, I wrote quite often to my pen pals, but right now, instead of sending a letter I usually send my friends e-mails.
Todd: Yeah! Me, too. How much does it cost to send a postcard in Hong Kong overseas?
Laura: Well, to Asian countries, it costs about two dollars, two Hong Kong dollars. To European countries it costs about three dollars.
Todd: OK, and when you send mail in Hong Kong, do you send it from your house, or do you..
Laura: Well, we have to go the post office in order to send letters or parcels.
Todd: Really, OK! Cause it's so crowded in Hong Kong that...
Laura: Well, Yes, Yes!
Todd: OK, and in Japan do you receive a lot of mail?
Laura: Right now, no. Well, because it's so convenient to use the e-mails or instant communication or telephone.
Todd: Yeah, OK last question. What time do post offices open and close?
Laura: Well, it depends on the size of the post office. For large one, so, they work longer. Like from nine in the morning until six, so for a smaller one, from nine to five.
pen pal
I wrote quite often to my pen pals.
A "pen pal" is someone you communicate with through letters. It can be someone that you know or don't know, but your relationship or friendship is long-distance. Notice the following:
- Have you ever had a pen pal?
- My grandmother has all the letters from when she was pen pals with her sister.
overseas
How much does it cost to send a postcard overseas.
To send something "overseas" is literally to send it over an ocean, but we frequently use this word to talk about sending something to another country or abroad. Notice the following:
- She wants to travel overseas to continue her studies.
- He took a job overseas last year.
parcel
You have to go to the post office to send parcels.
"Parcel" is another word for a package or something larger than a letter. Notice the following:
- Your mother sent you a parcel for your birthday.
- I have been waiting two months for the parcel to arrive.
convenient
It's so convenient to use e-mail.
If something is "convenient" it is easy and practical. Notice the following:
- My new apartment is in a very convenient location. It is close to everything that I need.
- We can go to the restaurant, but it is more convenient to have the food delivered to our house.
instant
E-mails or instant communication or telephone.
If communication is "instant" it happens right now or immediately rather than waiting for it. Notice the following:
- Do you like instant coffee?
- I got an instant reply from his email that said he was away from the office.
Vocabulary Quiz
convenient • instant
