First lady says she feels like she's `married to a robot'

First lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) appeared relaxed and cheerful in Guatemala City yesterday as she gave reporters a rare glimpse into the first couple's personal lives.

Speaking to Taiwanese reporters after a luncheon yesterday, Wu said her husband had become even more of a workaholic since becoming president. In her usual candid and humorous manner, Wu said he's made her feel "as if I was married to a robot."

Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had asked her to "fulfill the first lady's obligation" by accompanying him on this overseas tour, Wu said, and she had agreed to his request. "It has been a joyful [agreement] for both of us," Wu said.

Wu also described how the president kept reading documents for four hours in a row "without even moving his buttocks once" on the way from Taipei to New York. "He's so great."

Wu said she felt accompanying Chen on the tour was a duty and an obligation for the first lady. "The president also demanded that I come along," she said.

Asked if Chen "dared speak to you like that?" Wu answered, "We both thought the same way. And of course, [I've] come along because both of us were happy [with the arrangement.]"

Commenting on her experience in New York City, Wu had words of praise for the US security personnel who escorted them during the stopover. "Their eyes are like eagle's eyes. Maybe that's because too many US presidents have been assassinated before. So, sometimes even the US president is stopped by security people when he tries to make [physical] contact with the crowds," Wu said.

Wu also added that Chen sent the US security personnel into a panic when he, upon arrival in New York, made an unscripted move by walking out of his limousine half a block away from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and waved to the crowds upon arrival there. The security personnel were not worried about the welcoming crowds, but rather about the numerous vantage points for sharpshooters from nearby highrises, Wu said.

Wu added she felt the tour was more of a mission than a pleasure trip for her, even though she did manage to go shopping on Fifth Avenue and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Wu said she really wanted to chat with reporters during the long flights. "Sitting at the front was so boring," Wu said.

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