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2020年10月10日2020年9月28日

How to Build Community in Borderless House as a Foreigner

Hi, this is Claire from Borderless House! I’m here this time to talk about a really important topic, which is how to make friends and build a supportive community as a foreigner in one of the Borderless House.

Effortless Sharehouse Community

To be honest, when I decided to move to Japan last year, I was only considering living alone in an apartment next to my workplace. However, I ultimately wasn’t able to secure a place and was forced to choose another option. Although at the time I was sad that I lost my opportunity to live solo in Japan, I am forever grateful that I was able to instead find a home at Borderless House. It will forever be one of the best decisions I made throughout the past year. I am a social person, and with limited opportunities to meet people around my age group at work, as well as an irrational fear of going places by myself, living alone would have certainly ended in a lonely disaster.

Needless to say, it is important to have a strong support system when moving to a different country. One way to immediately set yourself up for success in making friends and community when moving to Japan is by choosing sharehouse accommodations that allows you to make both foreign and Japanese friends! You will be able to relate to your foreign friends as a fellow non-Japanese resident, and also will be able to get a more authentic experience of Japan through the knowledge and camaraderie of your Japanese friends.

My Sharehouse

This leads me to my current situation. Since the beginning of August 2019, I have been living in one of the Borderless House in Tokyo with 14 other housemates. I often find myself using the words “friends” or “family” to describe my fellow sharehouse residents, as there is an extremely special bond that forms when you get to go through daily life with other people. When I began my time at the sharehouse, I chose to live in a single room which meant that I was able to slowly get to know my housemates when hanging out in the common areas and go back to my room if I ever felt overwhelmed or needed some quiet alone time. Since getting to know my housemates, I recently decided to live in a share-room with one of my closest housemates. I was skeptical about staying in a shared room at first as I felt like I wanted to have my own independence and space in a single room. However, looking back I honestly wish that I had made the move to a shared room sooner as I have formed even deeper bonds with my Japanese roommate, making it feel like I have a sister here who I can talk to about anything.

What makes Borderless House so special is that it keeps the ratio of its houses to 1:1 in terms of both nationality (Japanese/foreigner) and gender (male/female). I am always tempted to make friends with people who are very similar to me, which means that I most likely would have only made female, American friends here in Japan. Now, of course, having friends who are similar to you and who understand your background are by no means bad. However, now living at the house, I have come to realize the deep value of making friends with people who come from backgrounds are different from my own. I have been moved while listening to the stories of my housemates; I get to see the love they have for their family when they speak about their hometowns, feel my mouth water when they describe their favorite foods back home and be inspired hearing about their goals and aspirations for the future. Because of these interactions, my own mindset has expanded and thanks to my housemates I believe I have become a more compassionate and understanding person. I am now much more able to step out of my comfort zone and have overcome some of my timidness.

BH Online Language Exchange Program

One question that may come up for some readers is “How do I form a community in Japan before moving there?” Recently, due to the Coronavirus, many people have missed out on the opportunity to come to Japan and Borderless House has responded by creating a Language Exchange Program where you can get matched with a current resident Borderless House sharehouses here in Tokyo! Not only will you be able to connect with Japanese residents and practice Japanese, but due to Borderless Houses’ unique mix of people, you also have the option to learn a variety of languages and cultures from around the world. By speaking with residents you can prepare for your trip to Japan by getting insider knowledge about Japan from a Japanese resident, or get answers to your questions and worries through the real-time perspective of a foreigner living in Japan. Why not join the program and start building a community in Japan ahead of time? Your language partner is waiting to meet you!!

In-person Meet-ups

Just as it is important to build friends outside of your family circle, of course, it is also important to branch out and have friends outside of your share house or other living accommodations. Given that Japan is becoming more international with each successive year, you are never alone in your desire to make friends and meet new people. One way to get connected to this community is through Meetup, which offers a platform for people to create get-togethers and events in Tokyo. Events are usually associated with shared interests such as sports, coding, gaming, language exchange etc. It can feel a bit intimidating at first to step into a room full of strangers, but remember that everyone attending the event shares the common goal of making friends. Walk into the even confidently and with a smile, and you will be surprised at the amount of people who will want to hear your life story and be friends with you! I have had a very positive experience at these events and made some lasting friends, both Japanese and foreigner. If you don’t have a strong inclination towards any of the interest group meet-ups offered, one of the easiest ways to get involved in the meet-up community is through attending a language exchange event; Grab one of your Japanese housemates and go to a Japanese-foreign language exchange together!

Sports and Interest Clubs

↑↑goofing off with my swim teammate

Another way to create a fast and lasting community is through joining an established sports or interest group. Many of the same types of clubs and groups that existed in your home country also exist in Japan! It’s a great opportunity to use your Japanese skills in a familiar setting. As I was a swimmer in America for 17 years, I decided that one way for me to create friends here in Tokyo was to join the swimming community in Tokyo. Doing something that I am familiar with while meeting new people helped me have the confidence necessary to step out of my shell and interact with others. I was able to learn new swim-related Japanese and improve on my skills at the same time! Within my own share house there are people like me who are involved in familiar hobbies by being a part of music groups and bouldering teams. You should also feel free to take up a new hobby if you want to! In addition to swimming, I started taking dance classes for the first time in my life, and although it is extremely far out of my comfort zone, after going to class consistently for a few months, I have made incredible friends and have become a member of the dance studio members club!!

In contrast to Meetup events, joining an established club or community makes it more likely that you will continually meet with the same people each week, making it easier to build a long-lasting community. To find these groups, you may need to network a bit and do some google searching, but usually sports and other interest communities are vast and eager to help. If you are a college alumni, see if there are any alumni in Tokyo that you can reach out to, and with social media it is easier than ever to find people with similar interests who are living closeby. Don’t be afraid to contact people out of the blue. Humans are social animals and we love to connect and help each other, so don’t be intimidated!

Other Advice and Take-aways

When first moving to Tokyo from a foreign country, making friends can seem intimidating. Borderless House undoubtedly is an immediate way to make lasting friends and connections, and we are ready to welcome you with open arms! For making friends outside of your sharehouse family setting, my best piece of advice is to find like-minded people with similar interests. As many things are new and unfamiliar, find a situation where you can feel most comfortable and freely express your personality. Be sure that you also consistently show up to each meeting or practice if you join a group- building connections takes time and effort!

However, make sure that for each comfort zone that you have here in Japan, you find another place that challenges you to grow. One pitfall that I would caution against is only joining an international community during your time here in Japan. Again, joining a Borderless House and some of our programs, such as the Online Language Exchange, are easy ways to make sure that you will be able to immerse yourself in Japanese language and culture by making connections with locals. Don’t be afraid to join clubs or groups that don’t have many non-Japanese participants! You never know the bonds and self-growth that you’ll be able to make by pushing yourself a bit outside of your familiar zones.

A whole community of exciting and passionate people are waiting here in all Borderless House to become your friend, so start networking, start exploring, and watch your experiences abroad brighten and expand!

2020年10月6日2020年10月6日

Why Are Sharehouses The Best Shelter Option When You Are Starting Life In Abroad?

In the present world, borders and boundaries have become fluid. These lines that mark and enclose an area to represent a city, country, or continent, and which primarily only exist on paper are in the present world not as rigid as they used to be earlier. Instead, in the present moment, these boundaries have become porous to allow people to move in and out of a country. This sits true for the borders and boundaries of almost all the countries or continents around the globe.

The Earth presently has become a global space, and all the cities and countries have become a part of its chain. Whether it is for studies or managing businesses, every year we witness people moving across borders. Because of this, it has become a natural occurrence to find citizens of different nationalities living together in a country they were not born or brought up.

But if you have ever traveled overseas, then you would know that living in a new country is not a very pleasant experience especially during the initial days. It is so because when you go to a new place you usually miss your old friends and family, and the previous surroundings terribly. Plus, when you move to a new country you feel like a stranger, and thus, it becomes difficult to blend in.

Mixing-in in a new country is not as easy as it may appear in the first place. We say so because when you go to a new place, you usually don’t know much about the culture or tradition of that place. And because of this, you always feel anxious and stressed in your new surroundings. You are always on your toes observing how other people are behaving so you would not mistakenly do that would hurt or disrespect the sentiments of the natives.

Thus, in such a time when you have freshly moved into a new country, it is considered a good idea to live in a share house. Doing so will help you in many ways. Wondering how that works? Well, in that case, read our next section to find out your answers.

How are share houses helpful in starting a fresh life in a new country?

A sharehouse is a big property that is offered on rent to tenants where many strangers share the same roof. In a share house, you can rent a single room for yourself or you can rent a room that houses 3 to 4 people in total depending upon your needs and requirements. This place is a top shelter choice for people, especially for those who have freshly shifted to a new country because-
It helps you in understanding alien customs.

As we have already established, when you move to a new country, chances are that you will be unfamiliar with its customs and traditions. This can make you anxious while adding to your stress levels. Also, there is this probability that if you did something wrong because of your unfamiliarity with the local customs that the natives find offending or insulting, then you might feel even more alienated and alone. Thus, for this reason, it is a safe choice to live in a share house at least for the initial days because there you are bound to come across many people who will be interested in international exchange.

When you will live with them, such people will help you in learning more about their local culture, while at the same time they will also try to understand your traditions. This healthy exchange will make your life significantly easier. So, if you want to know about the local customs and traditions of a place, its food, its manners, etc. in a friendly way without wasting much time, then share houses should be your top priority while seeking shelter.

It is a borderless accommodation

When you move to a new space how fluently you can speak their local language plays a very important role in deciding the ease with which you will blend in your new surroundings. So, for example, if you have moved to Japan for your further studies and you can fluently speak and write Japanese, then this will probably mean that you will find it easier to navigate Japan as compared to someone who doesn’t even understand Japanese. It is so because when you don’t understand the local language of a place, you find it hard to explain to people your queries or emotions.

Now, in such a scenario, it is wise to find a share house in your new country because in share houses you can probably find residents who are familiar with your language. In this way, your common language can help you in befriending people and it can also help you in learning the local language quite easily. We, BORDERLESS HOUSE, make language exchange easy for you by offering on our website the information about the nationality of its residents. You can even opt to talk to the residents of the share house while requesting a preview of the property.

It offers you easier access to common knowledge

When you shift to a new country, other than the customs, traditions, and language of that place there are many other things that you ought to learn about your new home town. These things include information on the common practices of the new place, knowledge about local shops and convenience stores in your locality, and awareness about the norms of living in that place such that your safety is not threatened.

Living in a share house can help you in gaining easy access to such information. It is so because when you are sharing a roof with other people you are bound to interact with them. In your conversations, you can come across the above-mentioned info without even requesting for the same. In opposed to this, if you opt to live alone in a new country, then acquiring such information may take some time.

Thus, these are some reasons because of which living in a share house should be your preferred choice. Living here can help you in settling-in easily.

2020年9月28日

What Is A Sharehouse?

A sharehouse is a rental space where people who are living independently, gather to live together. Except for private rooms, all other spaces are shared with fellow tenants. The shared spaces include the lounge area, where tenants can interact with one another, the kitchen, where they can prepare a variety of cuisines and meals, and the bathroom.

Share houses are mainly occupied by similarly aged (young and middle-aged) independently living locals or foreigners who have moved to Korea. Share houses appeal to this group of people due to the diversity, comfort of living, and fun that they offer to its tenants.

Popularity Of Share Houses

The increasing focus on shared spaces in television dramas and the collective generational desire to interact with new people and explore new things has led to the popularity of share houses in east Asia.

The Share House Culture

Different companies provide sharehouses with different themes, aiming to bring like-minded people together. Some shares houses are based on similar interests like sports, while there are some share houses that are only for girls or for single mothers, etc.

When living at a share house, one can learn about local culture, taste authentic local food, understand the local lifestyle, and make friends with local residents. BORDERLESS HOUSE is one of the leading share house companies in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, as they offer a variety of multicultural shares houses.

After co-living for a period of time, and in some cases even sharing a room, housemates leave their sharehouses with strong friendships with individuals from various countries across the globe.

Share House v/s Room Share: The Better Rental

When moving to another country, most people go for the conventional choice of a rental accommodation i.e. leasing an apartment or sharing a rental house. While the cost of a rental is divided between flatmates in a shared rental, the overhead costs and the money spent during the first month of leasing can empty your pockets.

A rental apartment has to be furnished, the monthly bills for electricity, gas, internet, and water have to be paid, and the cost of repairs, if any, must be shouldered by the flatmates.
By contrast, when renting a space in a share house, the tenants all pay a monthly rent and maintenance fee, and the management details are all handled by the sharehouse company.

A rental apartment or room is generally shared by people who either are friends or have previously decided to group together for the purpose of leasing the space together. While living with someone you already know may sound more comfortable, it leaves little space for learning. If you and your roommates are all foreigners, then it will be increasingly difficult for you to immerse yourself in the local way of living.

What Kind Of Personality Fits Share House Life well?

1. An open heart

Obviously, a share house constitutes communal spaces, which means you’ll share your space with your housemates who come from everywhere around the world. Everyone has their own different backgrounds, personalities and experiences, so, an open heart and mind are important for anyone considering staying in a share house.

2. People who love to make new friends!

Communication is one of the main concept points of BORDERLESS HOUSE. Most of our tenants expect to be placed in an environment where tenants are willing to communicate and interact to each other! So, make an effort not to hide away in your room, and instead, join your housemates, enjoy your time together, and make it memorable!

3. Maintain house cleanliness and environment with other housemates

A clean and comfortable environment requires all the housemates to work on maintaining it together. In BORDERLESS HOUSE, all tenants will need to take turns to do the housework together!

BORDERLESS HOUSE

BORDERLESS HOUSE is an International share house company with 122 share houses and 1285 rooms available for rent in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. BORDERLESS HOUSE caters to a large number of tenants every month. These tenants are from around 50 different countries and come to the share house with their own cultural knowledge to impart and a lot to gain from other housemates.

The ratio of locals and foreigners in a share house depends upon each share house company. The resident ratio between locals and foreigners at BORDERLESS HOUSE share houses is equal. This guarantees foreigners an opportunity to interact with locals and learn the culture, language, and traditions of the country.

The essence of a share house by BORDERLESS HOUSE is to create a multicultural space, where borders do not matter- where people from different countries across the world live together and share experiences. Residents teach and learn from each other, and become lifelong friends.

The Benefits Of Staying At A BORDERLESS HOUSE

● When you move to another country, you come across a lot of new and unexpected things. The food, the lifestyle, the language, the culture, and people’s perspectives are all new and strange at first. While some people find it easy to adapt into new spaces, others might have trouble interacting with people and making friends. Living together under the same roof, provides an immediate community of friends and a great environment for people to start talking.

● When living together for an extended period, housemates can learn each other’s culture and way of living. Interaction with people from different cultures helps you broaden your perspectives and learn new things about human nature.
Living with locals can help you learn the culture and folklore of the country. You can even celebrate local festivals, i.e. Chinese New Year, Seollal, and Shogatsu with local people!

● If you have moved to either Japan, Korea, or Taiwan for the long term, then knowledge of the local language will certainly come in handy. With the help your local housemates, you can simplify your life by learning the local language. Knowing the local language will help you better navigate around the country and take a step towards being accepted as a resident of your new country!

● When living at a share house, you can benefit from the advice and knowledge of your local housemates. Once you become friends, you can visit popular local restaurants and bars together. If you need to buy something, they can recommend the best shops in the area, or even accompany you to one. Basically, when living in a share house, you will never feel alone despite being in a foreign country.

● While there are many social benefits of living at a share house, it is also economically beneficial for people who are living alone. The monthly cost of staying at a share house is generally cheaper than that of a private apartment. Apart from the rent and maintenance fee, the tenants are not expected to pay for additional facilities like the internet, water, gas, etc. In some cases they can share the cost of cooking with other tenants and save money while making friends.

● Considering that a lot of people are housed together, share houses generally offer better and smarter house appliances. Some share houses even offer home theatres and fitness studios.

● To make the life of tenants at the share house easier, share house companies have dedicated house management staff to oversee the maintenance of the share house. From broken appliances to leaking pipes, every big and small maintenance job is handled by the company staff so that the tenants of the share house have one less thing to worry about.

BORDERLESS HOUSE is located in many different cities, including Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei, amongst others. These houses are located in areas that are nearby to local markets, stations, and other regularly visited places to ensure maximized convenience and ease of living for the tenants.

2020年9月26日2020年9月26日

Japan to reopen borders in October! Find your best accommodation in Japan

Japan plans to ease travel restrictions for foreign travelers (mid-term and long-term visitors, who will stay in Japan for more than three months for business or other non-tourism purposes) from around the world beginning in October, the Japanese government said this Wednesday.

However, there will be limited to about 1,000 foreigners to enter the country per day and these entrants will be required to self-quarantine for two weeks and follow other health protocols.

In Japan, the number of new cases of the COVID has been trending downward in recent weeks, so we hope things only get better and better!
For those who have a plan to stay in Japan for three months or longer, we are going to give you some suggestions and information regarding your accommodation in Japan in this article!

Which Are The Best Share Houses To Live In Japan?

In recent years, the culture of living in a share house in Japan has witnessed a boost. It has been observed that the ex-pats and students who come to Japan for the very first time for reasons like for searching job opportunities, for completion of their studies, for taking a detailed tour of the nation, or for getting access to Japan’s medical infrastructure, prefer renting a share house. This especially rings true for people who are visiting Japan for a brief period. Such people show more interest in settling in a share house for their stay over booking a hotel or renting a whole flat in the new place.

There are many reasons for this preference displayed by people. The most important of these reasons include grounds like lower renting costs of a share house when compared to the cost of renting a hotel or flat, the easy process of locating and renting a share house, the increased sense of security offered to the residents by share houses as they shelter many people under the same roof, and the fact that living in a share house allows you to reside with other ex-pats and prevents you from feeling alienated and alone in an alien space. For these reasons, newcomers in Japan feel enticed to rent a share house.

Now, Japan over the last years has understood this urge, and thus, to help its ex-pats the country in recent years has developed many share houses. In this prosperous nation, where many vibrant and young minds co-exist and collaborate to make the nation a bustling economic hub, many such borderless properties have been built. So, now if anyone moves to Japan and wishes to rent a share house for the stay, he/she probably doesn’t need to look very hard or to make any compromises with the locality where he wants to live in. Instead, just logging on to the right website and knowing where you want to rent a space, will make the share house hunt possible.

What you don’t believe us? Well, if that is the case then make sure to read our next section where you can see how any ex-pat who newly moves within the borders of Japan can easily choose accommodation in various localities. The options available are abundant and endless!

What are the available residence options in various areas in Japan?

If you will move to Japan you will find that the cheap residence options available here are overflowing. All you need to do is to know for sure in which city or locality you wish to rent a room and what you want your neighborhood to look like. Once you have locked in on these answers you will find that finding and finalizing a renting space is like a child’s play in Japan.

So, you have a workplace or school you want to live close to?

Many people every year move to Japan in search of jobs or for the sake of its remarkable education system. Now, if you too have made your move to Japan for these reasons, then it makes sense that you would want to live in a place that is close to these locations. Doing so will reduce your time to and from work and school, and it will make your life comfortable. Now, since the majority of jobs and popular education institutions are located in big cities in Japan like Tokyo, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, hence, you will be glad to know the number of share houses located in these cities is also in double digits. Thus, finding a share house here isn’t be a tough task.

So, you love history and would like to live in a historical place?

Well, some people love history, and honestly, it is quite wonderful to know that the place where you are standing in the present moment is the same place where some great king or saint was born thousands of years ago. Now, if you also love such tidbits of information and have come to Japan in a tourist spree, then you should check out the historical cities of Asakusa and Ueno that are popular tourist destinations while finding a shelter. There are many share houses situated here and choosing one of them as your place of accommodation will make it easier for you to visit historical sights and to experience traditional culture.

Recommended House▶ MONZENNAKACHO1 & ASAKUSA-IRIYA

So, you want access to a convenient and exciting life?

Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro are Tokyo’s representative urban centers. These localities are packed with all the functions of downtown, the entertainment district, and the office district, and the number of visitors who come to these places is very large. Especially in Shibuya, you can find many young people, and therefore, plenty of commercial facilities and restaurants are situated here. Thus, while deciding on a locality you should consider selecting one of these cities to stay as they will keep you up-to-date with the latest trends and will aid you in leading an exciting urban life.

Recommended House▶ SHINJUKU-CHUO1 & SHINJUKU-NAKANO1

So, you prefer living in a high-end luxury area?

Now, who doesn’t like to live a glamorous and comfortable life? So, for those of you who would prefer settling in a high-end luxury area let me inform you that Roppongi and Meguro in Tokyo are rich and popular residential areas in Japan where many wealthy people reside. And the good news is that even in these high-end luxury areas you can easily locate share houses to live in. Thus, even by paying less rent, you can get access to fashionable townscapes and high-class shopping centers. In addition to this, by living here you can also find delicious food serving restaurants and old-fashioned shopping streets that can keep you entertained and happy.

Recommended House▶ ROPPONGI1 & AKASAKA1

Thus, if you are about to move to Japan or you are already residing here, you can now see how finding a share house in different areas in Japan is very easy.

Hope the information helps! We are so looking forward to seeing you in Japan!

2020年9月18日2020年9月22日

在日本工作吧!◆BORDERLESS HOUSE日本就業支援線上座談會◆

嗨! 我是Borderless House的Ting! 在日本已經開始漸漸感受到秋天的涼意了！希望大家在工作和生活上一切都好～

如果你是因為看見這篇部落格的標題點進來的，想必你希望獲得＂在日本工作＂的相關資訊吧！那麼我們想邀請你加入我們從八月分開始，每個月舉辦的◆日本就業支援線上座談會◆　如果你的朋友對於日本就業相關訊息也感興趣的話，也歡迎妳們一起結伴參加唷。

我們希望可以幫助到更多的外國朋友們實現在日本工作的夢想！

※座談會是以【英文】進行。

※非BORDERLESS HOUSE的房客也歡迎參加唷。

Borderless House 在今年夏天開始了與專門在日本提供國際人才就業支援服務的公司Sociarise合作，開啟了【Ē・SHOKU・JŪ 】住宿和就業支援企劃。

在合作企劃中，其中一個服務就是【每月舉辦的就業支援線上座談會】

在這篇文章，我將會告訴你們關於這個座談會的細節，所以如果你正計畫，或是未來打算在日本工作的話，千萬不要錯過！

Sociarise – 在日本的國際人才就業支援服務

Sociarise的企業使命為希望創造機會給每一個人，因為每一個人都擁是獨一無二，無論國籍或種族，都應該擁有發輝自己價值的機會，和Borderless House相似的企業理念也促成了我們合作的機緣。

Sociarise 提供了以下的服務項目:
1.外國人才的工作介紹及一對一諮詢
2.國外及與外國人才有關的事業諮詢服務
3.商用日文的教學和就業教育訓練
4.外國留學生的就業諮詢
5.外國人才的調査、研修、講習等企劃實施

最棒的是，上述的所有服務都是免費提供的！

在你參加完座談會之後，你可以加入成為 Sociarise的服務對象，讓他們幫助你往到日本工作簽證的路上更近一步。

座談會內容是什麼

在這場座談會中你可以得到關於日本就業環境和市場的最新資訊，以及身為一個外國人究竟該如何在日本成功地找到理想工作，該如何踏出換工作的第一步等等的知識。這場座談會的主講者為Sociarise的CEO-Nakamura先生以及MEXT Scholars Association的代表Austin，他們將會分享他們的個人經驗及提供最佳的就業建議給大家。＊MEXT Scholars Association is a non-profit the largest organization representing and assisting MEXT scholars and alumni in Japan

在Q&A的時間，來自Sociarise的專家會根據目前最新的就業市場狀況，給你最精確的回答，並立即解決你長久以來關於日本職場的疑惑！並且在座談會之後，我們也準備了一對一或是群組的諮詢時間，幫助你消除所有的疑慮，並獲取最寶貴的建議。

在沒有資源或是他人的幫助之下，獨自一個人孤軍奮戰在日本找工作可以說是相當辛苦的一件事，所以我們提供了一個機會讓你認識能夠在找工作的辛苦過程中，推你一把的人。

在八月和九月的兩次座談會之後，我們收到了許多相當好的意見和反饋：
“Q&A時間對我來說很有幫助，他們一一的回答了我在找工作過程中曾遇到的所有疑問，給了我許多專業且有建設性的意見，甚至是我朋友的個人經驗，他們也耐心地為我解說”。

有幾位房客在參加了座談會之後就立即開始Sociarise提供的就業支援服務了呢！

千萬不要錯過這個 免費的活動

如何參加座談會

只需填寫報名表!

◆BORDERLESS HOUSE日本就業支援線上座談會◆

【在日本工作吧! 與專門為外國人提供就業服務的專業諮詢機會】

日期: 2020/10/3 星期六

時間: 11:00~13:00 日本時間

地點: ZOOM (Online線上)

主講人: Austin Zeng & Takumi Nakamura

語言：英文 *專業諮詢可用日文

參加人數上限：50 人

費用：免費

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※在收到你的申請表後，我們會透過EMAIL寄給您當日做座談會的ZOOM會議連結

期待你的參與!

2020年9月11日2020年9月25日

文化活動｜大稻埕漫遊：穿著旗袍品茶、品香更對味

說到國際交流，除了夜市、小籠包、珍珠奶茶，你還知道台灣有什麼充滿在地文化的東西，可以推薦給外國朋友嗎？其實台北大同區的大稻埕、迪化街商圈，是一個充滿文化底蘊的舊城區，各種百年歷史的建築、特色小吃、景點都聚集在這個地方！

睽違了兩年，趁著最近國內旅遊正夯，我們再次著外國朋友來到了大稻埕，和我們一起老街漫遊，體驗在地台灣味！這次除了穿旗袍，還有品茶、品香的活動，快來看看吧！

（不要忘了滑到文章最下方，看活動影片喔！）

貳零年華：體驗1920年代的旗袍風采

林阿姨的旗袍店「貳零年華Salon 1920s」，收藏了非常多1920年代的服飾和配件，而二○年代正是大稻埕最為繁華的美好年代，林阿姨的旗袍店名，就是這樣而來的。

走進店裡會發現林阿姨對旗袍的熱愛及用心，從店內的裝潢到陳設，都充滿了復古優雅，挑選旗袍的過程中，林阿姨也會根據每個人的需求，提供不同的搭配建議，替大家挑選最能凸顯自身氣質的旗袍穿搭。

除了旗袍以外，妝髮的搭配也十分重要，如果希望裝扮更有完整性，也可以請林阿姨幫忙梳妝，經過阿姨的巧手，只需要短短的5-10分鐘，就能完成非常典雅的盤髮喔！

雖然阿姨的店主打旗袍體驗，但也有部分是提供給男生的長袍選擇喔！
我們的日本室友Hiro換上長袍後，完全是員外啊！

品茶：富有層次及內涵的茶文化

換上旗袍，梳妝完成後，就準備要進行今天的第一個項目「品茶」囉！
林阿姨準備了幾種不同的茶葉，手把手帶著大家從聞香、沏茶、品茶，一步一步泡出好茶。

首先開始的，是林阿姨大手筆分享的1920年的「正山小種」，這可是產自福建，一斤上萬元的老茶葉喔！經過了年份的洗禮，茶葉也自然吸收了周遭環境的味道，帶著一種木質老建物的氣味，大家笑稱這是阿嬤家的味道。

其他還有像是帶著俠女的氣質的「鐵觀音」，氣味十分強而有力，而「東方美人」則是因為沖泡後色澤艷麗，香氣獨特，百年前被英國女王品嚐後，就賜名了東方美人。

而大家最喜歡的茶葉是「白茶」，一種未經過發酵及烘培的茶葉，沖泡前聞起來就像秋天的落葉，沖泡後則是帶有一種蔬菜的香氣，非常特別。

整個品茶的過程，我們一邊喝茶，吃著小點心，聽著林阿姨分享每種茶葉的由來、製程及故事，大家都十分投入。

品香：勾起記憶的嗅覺體驗

接在品茶之後的是「品香」活動，林阿姨準備了20幾種不同的天然香粉，每種都對應到了人體的心、脾、腎、肝、肺，大家可以根據每種香氣的功效，對應自己想要改善的部分，挑選出自己喜歡的香氣做調和。

首先林阿姨已經替大家準備好了專業的調香工具，大家依據自己的喜歡的香氣，挑選出共0.5克的香粉，其中0.2克裝進香囊中，可以隨身攜帶，而剩餘的香粉需要再加入0.2克的龍柏粉，混和以幫助燃燒，最後將香粉裝進模型中壓緊，製成香錐。

這個看似簡單的步驟其實十分需要技巧，施壓的力道不能太輕，否則香錐無法成形，而施壓的力道太重，則可能造成香錐無法從模型中取出，或是不易點燃喔。

大家七手八腳的互相幫忙，終於完成了每個人的香錐囉！最後我們輪流點燃自己調製的香，和大家分享、交流，並根據自己所調和出來的香氣，寫下一個對應的文字，敘述自己對這個香氣的感受。

有人認味香氣帶給他放鬆的感覺，也有人說香氣的味道，讓他想起了在日本家鄉的童年時光，每個人的感受都十分不同，非常有趣。

帶著外國友人，一起探索老街風華！

經過一個上午品茶、品香體驗後，大家都收穫滿滿，外國室友們也覺得非常有趣呢！其實大稻埕曾經是北部最重要的貿易港口，也是最為繁華的商圈之一，至今已經有百年的歷史，許多紅磚洋樓、巴洛克式建築都被保留了下來，走進大稻埕就像踏入了時光機一般。

而現在的大稻埕經過重新規劃後，除了有原本的老字號南北貨商行、茶行、中藥行，也新進駐了許多文青小店、咖啡廳，非常值得大家去走走逛逛！如果有外國朋友來到台灣旅遊，更是一個不容錯過，充滿在地台灣味的景點喔！

最後合照一張，大家就準備吃午餐囉！大稻埕有許多老字號的美食、小吃，就讓大家各自挑選自己喜歡的餐廳，填飽肚子為下午的大稻埕導覽補充體力吧！我們下回見！

活動影片紀錄

同場加映：

■ 不只是住宿！BORDERLESS HOUSE 活動回顧

■ 波波暑期換宿 – 替室友辦個活動吧！

2020年9月7日2020年11月30日

Are Share Houses Good Options For People Who Are Starting A Life Away From Parents?

Today’s youth, the youth of the 21 st century, very well understands the importance of freedom and independence. They know how significant it is to stand on its legs without the support of others, even if that support is extended by your loved ones like your parents and relatives. Adolescents know the necessity of becoming self-sufficient, therefore, in the present era as soon as they reach the legal age, they start striving for financial and other types of independence. One significant step that they undertake to become independent and self-sufficient is living away from their parents.

Living away from parents is a hard decision. When you live away from your home, where you don’t have the support of your parents or loved ones, you would face the unforeseeable future alone and learn important lessons. Or when you find a job in a different city or when you have to go abroad for completing your studies, staying away from the home becomes a necessity. However, whatever be the cause, it cannot be denied that staying away from home is difficult. It is majorly because when you leave home you are forced to take care of your security and your eating habits. There is nobody to look after you. Hence, for those who are about to stay away from home, we have a solution – the share house.

Living in a share house after you move away from your parents’ home may not seem very promising, but this option can certainly make the transition easier for adolescents. Now, if you are wondering how that works, then read our next section to find your answers!

Why is a share house a good accommodation option for living away from parents?

Living in a share house is an altogether different experience. There are so many things that you can learn when you live here, away from the protective shadow of your loved ones.

Renting this place as a living space when you start living away from your parents is the best decision that you can make because of the following reasons.

● Share houses are secure spaces

When you are looking for shelter options, share houses should be your top-choice because these places are secure. It is so because of two reasons.

First, most of the share houses are well-managed under the management companies, if any issues or problems happen at the share house, the management companies would visit the house and help you to solve any problems with you which you don’t need to deal with it alone by yourself. Secondly, when living in a share house you share the home with many housemates. This acts as an added layer of security as there is an advantage to living in a group when compared to living alone. So, after moving out of the home if you realize that you are not so confident about your safety, then look for a share house as that is your safest option.

● Share houses are furnished spaces

When you newly move out of your home, you are trying to become independent and self-sufficient, but you usually do not have enough finances to support yourself. Also, at this stage, you are not used to living without any facilities, equipment, and furniture. Hence, at such times, the share house is a very good accommodation option as it comes equipped and well-furnished. Thus, living here saves you from a lot of trouble while also helping you in saving money. Thus, if you are staying away from your family and looking for a shelter, and you do not own much money, try renting a share house.

● They have broadband lines and internet connections

This pointer is specially meant for those people who have moved abroad in search of a job or for completion of their studies. When you move to a new place the broadband lines and the internet connection is a must-have as it helps you in staying connected with your friends and family back home. This connection, in a broad sense, helps you in staying connected with the world, and it protects you from feeling alienated in a new country. However, when you move to a new country, getting an internet connection, or setting up new broadband lines can be tough, and it can take time. In such circumstances, it is generally considered a wise move to rent a share house as these places have already up and running
broadband lines and internet connection. Hence, living in a share house especially when you are a foreigner can help you in reducing your expenses, waiting time, and extra efforts.

● Share houses will improve your eating habits

When you are living with your parents, you have your siblings, your mother, or someone else in your family fussing over your eating habits. In the home, someone is always cooking your favorite meal and asking you multiple times if you have had your meal or not. But when you move out to live independently, there is no one to check on you because of which many people fall into the habit of skipping meals. In this context too, living in a share house is beneficial because there you live in the company of housemates who might have good culinary skills. A lot of times, these people also teach you how to cook different cuisines. Also, when you are with other people, cooking and eating a healthy diet doesn’t seem like much effort.

Because of these reasons, it can be ascertained that living in a share house is the best option after you have moved out of your parents’ place.

Living in a share house teaches you to be independent while not making you suffer much.

BORDERLESS HOUSE should be your first agenda when you are looking for a new shelter to move in.

2020年9月4日

Are Share Houses A Good Option For People Who Are Starting A Life Away From Parents?

Now, today’s youth, which is the youth of the 21st century, very well understands the importance of freedom and independence. Our youth knows how significant it is to stand on its legs without the support of others, even if that support is extended by your loved ones like your parents and relatives. Adolescents know the necessity of becoming self-sufficient, and therefore, in the present era as soon as they reach the legal age, they start striving for financial and other types of independence. One significant step that they undertake to become independent and self-sufficient is that of living away from their parents.

Now, living away from parents is a hard decision. When you live away from your home you learn important lessons. Living in a place where you don’t have the support of your parents or loved ones teaches you important lessons about life, and it prepares you for an unforeseeable future. Also, sometimes in cases, like when you find a job in a different city or when you have to go abroad for completing your studies, staying away from the home becomes a necessity. However, whatever be the cause, it cannot be denied that staying away from the home is difficult. It is majorly because when you leave home you are forced to take care of your security and your eating habits. There is nobody to look after you.

Hence, for those of you who are about to stay away from their home, we have searched a solution, the share house. Now, living in a share house after you move away from your parents’ home may not seem very promising, but this option can certainly make the transition easier for adolescents. Now, if you are wondering how that works, then read our next section to find your answers!

Why is a share house a good accommodation option for living away from parents?

Living in a share house is an altogether different experience. There are so many things that you can learn when you live here, away from the protective shadow of your loved ones. Now, renting this place as a living space when you start living away from your parents is the best decision that you can make because of the following reasons.

● Share houses are secure spaces

When you are looking for shelter options, share houses should be your top-choice because these places are secure. It is so because of two reasons. First, the share houses in most places come equipped with alarm systems. So, because of this, the chances of anyone breaking into a share house reduce significantly.
Secondly, when living in a share house you share the home with many housemates. This acts as an added layer of security as there is an advantage to living in a group when compared to living alone. So, after moving out of the home if you realize that you are not so confident about your safety, then look for a share house as that is your safest option.

● Share houses are furnished spaces

● They have broadband lines and internet connections

This pointer is specially meant for those people who have moved abroad in search of a job or for completion of their studies. Now, when you move to a new place the broadband lines and the internet connection is a must-have as it helps you in staying connected with your friends and family back home. This connection, in a broad sense, helps you in staying connected with the world, and it protects you from feeling alienated in a new country.
However, when you move to a new country, getting an internet connection, or setting up new broadband lines can be tough, and it can take time. In such circumstances, it is generally considered a wise move to rent a share house as these places have already up and running broadband lines and internet connection. Hence, living in a share house especially when you are a foreigner can help you in reducing your expenses, waiting time, and extra efforts.

● Share houses will enhance your eating habits

Thus, because of these reasons, it can be ascertained that living in a share house is the best option after you have moved out of your parents’ place. Living in a share house teaches you to be independent while not making you suffer much. Hence, BORDERLESS HOUSE should be your first agenda when you are looking for a new shelter to move in.

>>Check the Share Houses in Taipei<<

>>6 Things About Living in Taiwan<<

2020年9月4日2021年5月27日

【Original Program】Talk anytime anywhere! Connect! Become Friends! What makes Language Exchange so appealing?

Hello everyone! I am Yuya in charge of PR!
This is quite sudden, but do you know “Language Exchange”, Borderless House’s online communication matching program?

After starting this program in April 2020, we had many participants and great feedback from them.
Today I would like to introduce you this “Language Exchange” program!

This is how this program started.

An online program that makes it possible to connect with the world while staying at a share house! What is Language Exchange?

Language Exchange is an online communication program where people who share common hobbies, target languages,
the countries they want to visit can connect and enjoy the communication.

<This is for YOU>
・Those who want to enjoy studying abroad and traveling overseas
・Those who want to practice out the language you learned
・Those who want to try learning new languages
・Those who want new encounters (with new people and their experiences)
・Those who want to find new information and broaden your knowledge

This is a practical way of learning through deep conversations with your partner on common interests.

Matching with the perfect partner!

Our staff will match you with a perfect partner based on the questionnaires. This is a one-on-one conversation through an online chat tool.

This one-on-one conversation with your partner (not group conversation) will help to know each other deeper.

Not only Japanese, but you can also choose the language you want to learn. So you can try learning new languages and connect with the person from the country you want to visit or study in. New encounters mean more than just language learning. This is another feature of this program.

Details of this program and how to apply

●Date & Time: Scheduled between the partners
●Target Language: Various languages (Japanese, Korean, French, German, etc.)
●Free of charge
●Participants: Limited to former or current tenants of Borderlss House
●How to apply
Step1
Entry is easy!
Please apply from the form below.
Application form

Step2
Borderless House will do the matching based on the form!
A Skype group will be created and we will organize the date for the first meeting and explain the procedures.

Step3
The day of the program
Start with introducing yourself! Enjoy talking based on the topic cards! (First time 40 minutes)

Step4
Answer the survey after the first session. Based on the survey, we will organize the next session.
From the second meeting, it will be just you and your partner.

Overcoming language barriers! Comments from the participants who made new friends through this program!

– This program looks fun, but I feel nervous about talking with new people
– What if I cannot speak well
– What happens when we run out of topics to talk about

To those who feel this way, please let me show you the real comments from the participants

Daniel: Dream of studying in Japan finally coming true! But he needed to put it off because of the coronavirus pandemic

ーWhat made you join this program?
I was planning to study in Japan and move into Borderless House. But, I needed to put it off because of the coronavirus situation three days before the departure and I was very disappointed. That was when I found this program and I decided to join because I wanted to talk with native Japanese speakers.

ーHow was the program?
I was very glad to talk with a Japanese native partner. By talking with him, I could get to know more about Japan. My hobbies are learning new languages and cultures. My partner told me about Japan’s regional cultures that I wouldn’t know without him and recommended me places to visit.
I felt very excited even though I cannot visit Japan right now

ーWhat was your partner like?
I have joined this program twice so far and talked to two Japanese partners. It was easy to talk to both of them because we all shared the same hobby, traveling. The program was for 40 mins but it was not enough when we had a great chat, so we arranged the second meeting.
My Japanese isn’t very well and my English is not as good as native speakers. When we had something we don’t know, we searched words and used chat messages, so I felt a sense of achievement too lol

ーPlease tell us your thoughts on this program!
I joined this program in hope of practicing out my Japanese and getting to know more about Japan. I ended up having deeper conversations about each other’s cultures and interests than I thought, and I also made friends across the border.

I made a promise to visit the partner in Japan, so I can’t wait to visit the places we talked about. I am looking forward to the next session.

Miyu: Her hobby is traveling!

ーWhat made you join this program?
I like traveling abroad and I hope to study abroad someday. Because I haven’t decided which country to go to, I wanted to talk to people from different countries.
Also, I wanted to improve my English skills.

ーHow was the program?
I realized that talking with native speakers is the best way to improve language skills.
When you study by yourself from textbooks, it can be boring and does not last long. But when you have a partner, you can keep yourself motivated. Also, I feel excited to connect with someone overseas. I enjoyed it a lot because I could talk about various genres.

ーWhat was your partner like?
When we first talked by chat messages, I was not sure what she was like because of language barriers. But it turned out she was a friendly lovely person after we talked on a video call. I want to meet her in person someday.
She was not a native English speaker, so we had some difficulties but I will try harder next time.

ーPlease tell us your thoughts on this program!
I learned that it was important to have the courage to say “I don’t understand” when I have something unsure.
Communication between non-native speakers can be hard sometimes, but we could get closer by asking questions over and over again.

Through a computer screen, you can connect with people overseas, share each other’s culture and ideas, meet with new people, which makes this program a great one. What makes it even greater is the fact that it is free of charge(Thank you Borderless House!) and easy to participate from home.

Through Language Exchange, spread your “likes” to the world across the border!

As long as you have an internet connection and devices, you can connect from everywhere in the world and make friends throughLanguage Exchange program, Why don’t you meet your language partner through this program?

Please apply from the form here.

We are looking forward to your participation!

Other programs & reviews

2020年9月2日2020年9月2日

波波暑期換宿 – 替室友辦個活動吧！

BORDERLESS HOUSE Taiwan在今年舉辦了第一屆的「波波暑期換宿」活動，提供了為期一個月的的免費住宿，給對share house生活有興趣的同學喔！而這次就有四位女孩通過了面試，加入BORDERLESS HOUSE的大家庭，和我們一起體驗共居生活！

而入住Share House除了生活上的互動及文化交流外，室友間的日常小活動也是非常重要的，在這一個月的期間，四位波波們都各自替家中室友舉辦了一場小活動，讓我們一起來看看他們的Vlog和Blog吧！

中山2：Tutorㄅㄆㄇ

許多入住BORDERLESS HOUSE的外國室友，都是在台灣學習中文的學生，所以如果生活上能有更多機會練習中文，對他們來說是在好不過了！所以入住了中山2見的波波──品瑄，和好友Bella共同替日本室友舉辦了「Tutorㄅㄆㄇ」的中文課程喔！除了學習中文，還一起寫書法，練習打中國結，讓日本室友們也覺得收穫滿滿！

大安2：室友歡迎會

住在share house裡，迎新送舊是很常有的事情，趁著最近有好幾位新室友加入大安2這個大家庭的機會，波波──宜庭，決定替新室友舉辦一個歡迎會，邀請了所有的室友們加入電影之夜，一起大啖Pizza和超台灣味的鹽酥雞喔！

芝山1：Bye Bye 歡送會

新室友會來，舊室友當然也會有離開的一天，入住芝山1的波波──羽倩，在暑期換宿的尾聲，也正好遇上了來自冰島的室友Kia要回國了，於是羽倩決定替Kia舉辦了bye bye party，而因為來自冰島的Kia非常喜歡騎腳踏車，派對結束後，一夥人還陪著Kia到河堤邊夜騎腳踏車、吹吹風，讓我們來看看羽倩的活動紀錄分享吧！