Marie-Odile Pinet’s interest in China is no new thing: as small as she is, she dug holes in the sand to reach the other side of the Earth! A graduate in East Asian studies and in journalism of the Université de Montréal, she perfected her knowledge of the Chinese language and culture in the cities of Tianjin and Taipei. In this country she’s delivered TV and radio reports on China. Her cultural and linguistic prowess took her to Cirque du Soleil, where she attended Chinese artists for 15 years, building a bridge among Chinese, Québec and circus cultures. She was delighted to act as Chinese Garden cultural agent between May 2013 and June 2014.