Spouses swap notes over pisco sours

By AUDREY YOUNG

America's First Lady, Laura Bush, impressed New Zealand's "First Man," Peter Davis, yesterday during a day's outing in Santiago, Chile, for the spouses of Apec leaders.

After a tour of the pre-Columbian art museum and lunch in the Refectory of Recoleta Dominica Convent, Professor Davis said Mrs Bush was well informed.

"She asked pretty informed questions and made comments that showed she had covered a little bit of homework actually, which had me beaten," said Dr Davis, a professor of sociology at Auckland University.

It was the same story over lunch, where the conversation was animated, he said.

"We did get discussing the stem cell thing, which I'm not as well informed about as I should be, and Mrs Bush is very well informed on it.

"It had been an issue in their campaign and Mrs [Janette] Howard [wife of Australian Prime Minister John Howard] had something to say about it, too. "

Mrs Howard and Mrs Bush also spoke about their husbands' recent elections.

"They were talking about what a tough life it is and having to put up with the media."

Professor Davis also said he had some sympathy for the Belgian wife of the Peru President, Alejandro Toledo, who had to give up her job as an anthropologist in a university when she became First Woman.

Some of the spouses were warmed up with a small aperitif of the prized Chilean liquor, pisco sour - Professor Davis' first taste.

Mrs Howard had one "and I thought, well if she can I can too".

"It's very nice. I only had a tiny little glass. I thought under the hot sun with a couple of pisco sours you'd have to be rather careful."

Politics was not discussed, he said, and there was certainly no mention of a free trade agreement for New Zealand.

Professor Davis said he saw Mrs Howard at least twice a year and he met Mrs Bush at an Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum meeting in Mexico two years ago.

The trip to Santiago is the fourth time Professor Davis has accompanied Prime Minister Helen Clark to an Apec meeting.

He said it never bothered him being the only male, as he often was, but this time the husband of Philippines President Gloria Arroyo was there too.

It was "almost expected" that the leaders' spouses accompany them on the Apec trips, Professor Davis said.

"It might be seen a little bit as a matter for comment if you didn't turn up."

Supporting his wife extended to accompanying her to the hotel gym to keep up her fitness levels, as he did after returning from a reception at the New Zealand Embassy three nights ago, he said.

"That's Helen for you.

"I'd quite easily put my feet up and read something but she is very sensible. She really has to keep active like that, otherwise you'd lose condition very quickly.

"Frankly this job is demanding physically and you really have to stay quite fit and she does."

He said he would not be able to take a week off to accompany the Prime Minister to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Laos, but Mrs Howard wanted to accompany her husband to show the hosts how seriously they were taking the invitation.

In terms of Apec highs, Professor Davis rated last year's Royal Barge procession down the centre of Bangkok as "one of the most spectacular human cultural events I've ever seen".