<\/a><\/p>\n

If there is one thing I have learned in doing these profiles, it\u2019s that Portlanders are creative, busy, on-the-go people. The day I interview someone that says, \u201cI like to sit at home and watch television all day,\u201d I\u2019ll have to pinch myself to make sure I\u2019m not having a nightmare.<\/p>\n

Mo Nishiyama is no exception to this rule. It seems so obvious when he remarks how \u201cPortland makes it easy and encourages people to try new things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying new things \u2013 whether voluntary or not \u2013 seems to be something Nishiyama has dealt with for most of his life. Originally born in Japan, his family moved to a small town in Alaska when he was eight. As you can likely imagine, he wasn\u2019t entirely enthused.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpending thirteen years in Alaska in a very cold town with a very conservative cultural atmosphere was just not cutting it for me,\u201d he flatly admits.<\/p>\n

After turning 21, Nishiyama spread his wings, fled the cold coup and migrated south for the\u2026 well, forever. He wound up landing in Eugene, where he majored in film with a minor in music.<\/p>\n

As you can probably imagine, \u201cI don\u2019t work in film or music,\u201d he deadpans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a tech writer at OHSU in the IT department.\u201d<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s a story that could be told a million times, it\u2019s the one of the film and music student who wound up in an IT department.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, he writes, which is a creative endeavor, even if it is, well, technical writing. Nishiyama assures us the creative fire that stoked a film and music education gets its fuel through his current work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take pride in translating technical language into things that people could use and writing in a way that makes them feel better about what they do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not translating gobbledygook into layman\u2019s terms with a smile on his face, Nishiyama can be found doing\u2026 well, just about everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy things that most Portlanders do,\u201d he begins. \u201cWhich is to say I like to go out and explore new restaurants and bars, go cycling, go running, enjoy the great outdoors and the quirky fun things people do here in Portland.\u201d<\/p>\n

What kind of quirky fun things might he be referring to?<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoy giving presentations,\u201d he says with a wry grin in his voice.<\/p>\n

Presentations. Yeah, that\u2019s kind of quirky. What sort of presentations?<\/p>\n

\u201cI like giving short stories; presentation events where I tell a story about my life experiences, such as overcoming my fear of public speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait, a fear of public speaking, but he likes to give presentations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIronic, I\u2019ve given presentations to rooms of hundreds of people considering my least favorite class in high school was public speaking,\u201d he says with a laugh.<\/p>\n

As my bewilderment fills a void of silence, he continues. \u201cIt\u2019s all about trying new things,\u201d he whimsically reminds me.<\/p>\n

And we come full circle. It\u2019s amazing that after twenty-one years in Portland, Nishiyama still revels in trying new things. Perhaps that is one of the greatest things about Portland and her residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cPortland is a great place to practice gratitude and participate in a creative community every day. It gives me a chance to give people a better version of myself every day,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n

There are few better ways one can express the love for their city than by pointing to it as the reason they are a better person and I think the same can be said in the opposite direction. Portland is a better city because of PDX People like Nishiyama.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

William Bessette<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 PDX People Contributor<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>William Bessette is a journalist and freelance writer who has been covering politics, entertainment, culture and travel for over thirteen years. When he\u2019s not profiling Portland-area restaurants and residents, you can find him reporting on national and international travel and eco-tourism through his travel brand, <\/span><\/em><\/strong>Floppy Hat Adventures<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow William on: <\/span><\/strong> Facebook<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0, Twitter<\/span><\/u><\/a>\u00a0 Connect with William on:<\/span><\/strong> LinkedIn<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 
\n