Talk stops - time to head for the shops

By Warren Gamble

East Timor, the Middle East, US-China relations: it's enough to make you want to shop.

Retail therapy was on the exhausting agenda of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Auckland yesterday, and who could blame her?

She had just stepped off the plane from a diplomatic call in Vietnam, after spending the previous few days observing the resumption of the Middle East peace process in Jerusalem.

With the East Timor crisis likely to keep her closeted in hotel rooms with Apec counterparts over the next three days, she took advantage of the favourable US exchange rate.

First stop was Mega Mags on Queen St where, unfortunately, the staff were too busy to notice the VIP visitor in their midst. Even the dark-suited, clean-shaven bodyguards did not give the game away.

In Parnell's Elephant House craft shop, director Glenda Nicholls was stunned to come face-to-face with one of the most world's most prominent people.

"I was quite flabbergasted that she had arrived this morning and she was out shopping. It's a whirlwind type of existence."

Mrs Albright had obviously done her homework on the shop's New Zealand crafts. She went straight for a double-sized mohair rug and also bought a wooden chess-like Cathedral game.

At nearby Iguacu restaurant the dark-suited brigade found her a quiet, non-smoking table where she could enjoy a late, light lunch and iced coffee. Duty manager Ariane Gaudriller said Mrs Albright was relaxed and gracious, and donned the restaurant's baseball-style cap staff gave her when she left.

Then it was down to business. A live interview with CNN was followed by dinner with Foreign Minister Don McKinnon.

Today it is really serious business - breakfast with Tang Jiaxuan of China, the East Timor supersummit and another heavyweight bilateral meeting with Masahiko Koumura of Japan.