INSPIRATIONS:

Cristina Ionda is a Romanian-born actress now living in New Zealand and starring on TV drama The Brokenwood Mysteries.

actress Cristina Ionda

If I could go back in time and live in any era it would be... Ancient Greece. I was always fascinated by the ancient world and particularly by the Greeks, as the Western world adopted the Greek civilisation: democracy, theatre, music, architecture, mathematics, medicine, astrology... If I had to choose another career I would

like to be... A concert pianist. I love classical music and piano in particular.

The best part about New Zealand is... Its natural beauty. If you want to have your breath taken away you just need to visit New Zealand and, of course, meet the lovely people. It is an earthly paradise. My fondest childhood

memory is... My first day at school. I was so nervous among so many people and kids... My primary

teacher calmed me down and made me feel at home.

My favourite pastime is... Walking on the beach. I cannot imagine anything more relaxing and enjoyable! On a good day I can even feel the ocean breathing and the universe turning. The three words I would use to describe me

are: Curious, enthusiastic and friendly.

My greatest fear is... Snakes. I’ve always had a fear of snakes. Can’t explain it.

The person I admire the most is... My grandma. She was tiny but strong, and a lovely woman that had a very hard life. When I feel down I always think of her. In her life she never lost hope or faith. I miss her wisdom so much. The last TV series I binge-watched was...

Game of Thrones. It took me a couple of days to watch all seven series! I almost dreamed myself in it after that.

The bravest thing I have done is... Saving a baby penguin from drowning. It was shaking all over; deadly scared. Experiencing the feeling that any creature is fragile and counts was so humbling.