Jane Coombs, who was raised in Dunedin, was back in the country last week meeting government leaders after a year as New Zealand's ambassador to France, Monaco, Portugal and Senegal as well as being our permanent representative to the OECD.
What was the best birthday present you ever received, and why?
My husband Tim always gives me flowers and champagne and cooks a salmon meal. It makes me feel special every time.
What smell do you find irresistible?
French perfume, of course! The smell of freesias on a balmy evening is a close second.
Having grown up in Dunedin that was not a smell I was accustomed to. So the first time I experienced it, in Auckland, I was blown away by the exotic, tropical beauty of it.
To this day it is a special smell that both takes me back to that moment of discovery and wonderment and makes me think of home - the warmer parts, that is!
If you were going to an island and could take only three things, what would they be and why?
Oh, help. What are the flavours of home I miss the most? Kakanui tomatoes? Tasty cheddar? I think I will have to have faith that there will be something edible on this island.
So, what I will really need is a spirit of adventure, a sense of purpose and a connection with home; all the things that have helped me be resilient and make the most of the postings I have had in diverse parts of the world.
What's something only your family knows about you?
There is a professional me, and then there is a fun-loving, playful side.
Tim always likes to recount the story of coming to watch me chair a UN committee in New York on my first posting, in my mid-20s. There I was, sitting behind the green marble desk with my gavel, fully focused on conducting the serious business at hand. Only he knew that we had been out dancing late the night before.
And worse still, those were my pogoing days!
You are a new addition to the crayon box. What colour are you, and why?
Easy. Paua. The blues and greens are so New Zealand. And I love the sparkling luminosity.
