I was born in 1998 in Arles, Southern France, and have been constantly moving away from the warmth of its summers ever since, studying in Lyon, Brest and even Oslo. I started computing in primary school with a Windows 95 computer and a programmable Casio calculator. I got to where I am today through taking apart hundreds of electronic devices (and counting!) and unconventionally tinkering with stuff. Random choices led me to choose between a career as an entomologist (inspired in my childhood by Bernard Werber’s books), a computer scientist (inspired by my mother’s geek spirit and the wonderful technological developments that went on when I was a kid), or a marimbist/vibraphonist (inspired by my percussions teacher’s passion).
Over the years, I’ve developed a great passion for languages, whether “natural” or “for computers”, and how they influence the way we think (linguistic relativity, Sapir–Whorf hypothesis). On top of this came a keen interest in the design of intricate systems, with a great appreciation for the beauty of simple solutions to complex problems, and complex optimizations to answer seemingly simple problems. Don’t get me wrong, I also love unnecessarily complex solutions to ridiculously simple problems, and I relish the disabused look on my friends’ faces as they throw a shy, slightly anxious "But why?!" when I show them my latest horrors.
My ideal work day starts not too early in the morning with a bowl of tea, and includes a good hour of scientific and technical watch. I do plenty of OCaml and listen to music for at least 6 hours as the day passes. It continues well into the night with my friends, is cut short by a critical IT incident in one of my associations, which we resolve in a bar at 2am amidst inebriated flashes of lucidity, and ends at around 3:30am. Fortunately for my sleep, this ideal day doesn’t happen that often! I’m easy going once you get past the typical obstacles of dealing with a French person. I’m extremely loyal to the people around me, and I believe that my atypical life experiences give a fresh perspective to things; humble, without however bowing down to the statu quo.
