Speaker FAQ

Name: Nathan? Nate or Naoki?

Naoki Oyama

Naoki is my legal name I use in formal situations (like banking, school admissions, etc.) When you write a check payable to me, or when you send something to me, write my name “Naoki Oyama”.

This name was given by my uncle who was a well-known fortune teller. The reason that he suggested this name was that he believed the number of strokes when he wrote the name in Japanese was just awesome. Naoki didn't have any meaning (awesome, indeed.)

Most non-Japanese speakers find it difficult to pronounce Naoki correctly. Also I don't like it when people call me Naoki since calling someone's legal name sounds like they are being scolded by their mothers. If you usually call Britain the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, then you can call me Naoki.

Nathan Oyama

“Nathan” is more general, common name. This name was given by my next-door neighbors.

Nate

Some friends of mine are really lazy and they prefer to call me just “Nate” rather than “Nathan” so as to move their tongues fewer times.

Nationality?

I'm Japanese-American. I was born to Japanese parents in the US, moved to Japan when I was three, and had grown up and been educated there as well as ordinary children should have. Afterward I returned to the US and enrolled at California Community Colleges. In short, I'm a US citizen but pretty much like ordinary Japanese.

Language?

Japanese is my native tongue. I began studying English when I was the 7th grade. I don't speak any other language.

Political View?

I'm neither a political scientist nor an economist by profession but have the right to vote. Here is my favorite quote: democracy is the worst form of government.

What brought you to the US?

Ever since I moved to Japan when I was three I had aspired to return to the US. I remember very few things about days when my family was in New Jersey because I was too little. But I clearly remember the day when we just moved to Japan. At that time, somehow I felt that Japan was a fairly poor country and hatred of my life there.

When I was a high school boy I once gave up returning to the US and decided to carry on living in Japan. Throughout my life there I learned many great things relate to Japan and became increasingly proud to be Japanese.

I began studying Japanese culture by reading some famous books including Bushido (Nitobe), the Sword and the Chrysanthemum (Benedict), and Analects (Confucius).

But shortly before I graduated from the high school I was getting bored of my life there—I spoke & wrote Japanese, though my Japanese speaking ability was already as good as ordinary Japanese adults. If I use English instead, it could be good for me. When I studied in a university in Japan, I tried to behave as if I were an international student; I did all my homework & exams in English†. Also I worked part-time as a Japanese instructor and taught Japanese to foreigners there so as to increase opportunities of talking with foreigners.

† More precisely, there was one course which I didn't use English . . . An introductoin to French!

Shortly after I finished my sophomore I moved to Berkeley, California, enrolled at a community college, and tried to transfer to UC Berkeley (and happily, I'd done it.)

Then why not Moscow, Singapore or New York?

As I said I was born in the US, and so I'm a US citizen. As an American, life in the US seems easier than that in any other region. Also I'm interested in computer industry in Sillicon Valley, and cool lifehacker guys in San Francisco.

Questions relate to Computers

How can I seek you on twitter, facebook, etc.?

I mainly use facebook and twitter. To find me, just search with Nathan Oyama.

I also have accounts of some major social networking services like LinkedIn, MSN, Myspace, and so on, but I use these for just an experiment. Until ten years ago I had been using AOL, but [not to mention,] I no longer use this.

Are you geek?

You're asking like why does tomorrow come after today? Anyway, I hope you call me a computer man or “a would-be hacker” rather than geek, nerd or a sort of sea cucumber.

Hint: I subscribed LifeHacker's RSS, moved to San Francisco, and now I'm studying computer science & mathematics at a university, owing my own webpages written about my Linux system, what else...

What kind of computer are you using?

The answer would be a bit long. I'll write it in another page.