First lady breaking the mold as she goes

Frank, quick-witted and having a great sense of humor, Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) is changing the stereotypes associated with a woman of her prestige.

Tseng Wen-hui (曾文惠), wife of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), appears to have the docile manner of one who always makes her husband her top priority. Soong Mayling (宋美齡), widow of the late president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), was always majestic and aloof, distancing herself from the people.

In contrast to her predecessors, Wu behaves much more like a next-door neighbor, especially in the ways she expresses her true feelings.

At home, Wu always amuses the public by her spontaneously witty remarks. Her charm as a public speaker was further revealed during her recent landmark trip to the US.

Wu returned home last Sunday from her 11-day visit to New York, Washington and Los Angeles. She was the first president's wife from Taiwan in 50 years to attend a reception on Capitol Hill.

During her journey, the first lady appealed to US' political circles and the overseas Taiwanese community with her genuineness as well as her sharp responses in the face of the media's questioning.

"If Taiwan is not a country, how could you call me first lady?" Wu said, responding to a question by a CBS reporter, who asked her if Taiwan is a country.

"[The fact that Taiwan is a country is clear,] it is just like it is needless to stress my being a woman," Wu said.

Wu's performance during her historic visit received acclaim from the public, who billed her "a natural-born diplomat" because she knew how to best uphold the country's pride with simple and clear language.

Wu should be praised, but not only for her success in widening Taiwan's diplomatic horizons. What deserves more admiration is her strong will to conquer her physical limitations while trying to take Taiwan to the world.

"Wu's iron-will has posed a striking contrast to her small, feeble body," said a Presidential Office official.

After a traffic accident 17 years ago, which many suspect was actually a politically motivated attempt on her life, Wu has been paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair.

"She cannot stand on her own feet, but she used a wheelchair to push Taiwan to the United States, to Washington," her husband, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), told the media the day after her return.

"Given Wu's bold example, there is no reason why other Taiwanese should be either pessimistic or lacking in energy in pursuing Taiwan's diplomatic goals," Chen said.

Despite her physical pain and the inconvenience resulting from her confinement to a wheelchair, Wu appears unusually optimistic.

"I would choose to cry if it would free me from this wheelchair. But the fact is I'll be bound to this wheelchair no matter what. So why not choose to be happier?" Wu once said.

It is due to this mindset that we see the first lady making fun of her own tiny breasts and the fact that she is experiencing menopause -- explaining why she can sometimes be emotionally unstable at home.

She also jokes about her husband's fat stomach and his being an unromantic and sometimes boring man.

"A-bian is just like tap water. It is tasteless, but I can't go on with my life without it," she once said with her trademark amusing style.

The love story between Chen and Wu is one of the most talked-about subjects since Chen was elected as president.