A little bit about me

Who I am

A nice cat I meet on the streets of Vietnam. Later, my glasses would be stolen by a less friendly monkey. I had a very complicated relationship with the wildlife.

When covid hit, I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. I decided that it wouldn't go to waste and that I was going to learn the basics of at least one programming language. I ended up learning basic Python, html & CSS, and some JavaScript. Before the shutdown, I only knew how to work with Matlab and felt like my ignorance of programming was one of my weaknesses, and am very grateful I decided to spend my time wisely. Now, I have a better understanding of the inner workings of programming, and I can contribute when people are talking about their projects. Or at least, I can follow along with what they are doing. Additionally, I was able to use my creality 3D printer to build a better 3D printer. Bootstrapping seems to be kind of a theme with my projects. I also started working on many of the projects on this site. Eventually, I want to fill my house with over-engineered gadgets that do everything for me, but that's a ways down the line.

The 3D printer I built with my extra time during (and after) the Covid lockdowns

As you go through the projects on my site, you may notice the underlying goal behind all of them (aside from being fun). Most projects let me to try something new, learn some new skills, and maybe build something cool. At the end of the day, I really like making stuff and I want to do it to the best of my abilities.

Some extracurricular activity. Soon they will be fired and I'll get to glaze them.

Learning to weld in my grandfather's shop

If you would like to see more photos, take a look at my gallery. For my projects, try the projects page!

Frequently asked questions

Q1: How do I pronounce your name?

A: Gaetan is pronounced like a "gate" in the shape of an "N. "Gate"-"N". My last name (Foisy) rhymes with "noisy".

Q2: Why did you pick engineering?

A: The short answer is that I enjoy solving tough problems that force me to grow in some way (this is one of the reasons I made this website). My parents always knew I was going to end up an engineer, but I only realized it when I took an engineering class in high school. The Venn-diagram of my interests and what that class covered were two circles perfectly overlapping each other. It’s no surprise that I spent the majority of my study halls in that classroom and the shop next door.

Q3: What is your favorite color?

A: Purple. Or green. And red is pretty cool too.

Q4: Do you have any advice for your younger self?

A: Set aside time to step back and re-evaulate your projects. If I am not careful, I can get caught up in the details of a project. Realizing the value of scheduling time to take stock of the situation was a pivotal moment for me.