At the annual leaders summits of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, it's mostly all work with leaders sitting around a conference room talking about trade treaties, economics, tax policy and, increasingly, climate change. But the program also includes a social event -- an evening of entertainment aimed at showcasing the host country which, this weekend, is Singapore.

That happened Saturday night here, with leaders donning a Peranakan-inspired outfit created by Singaporean designer Wykidd Song. Prime Minister Stephen Harper chose a grey-blue silk shirt with a mandarin-style collar.

For the evening, Harper was accompanied by his wife Laureen who, as she often does at international summits, turned more than a few heads. Mrs. Harper stands out in a crowd not only for her blonde hair and winning smile but also because she is an elegant dresser. Last night, she arrived on the prime minister's arm in a white dress with a South Asian-inspired print in pink and black. It was good enough that the photo of the Harpers arriving for the evening's entertainment made the local paper, albeit on page A6 (left).

Normally, Canada's prime minister - be it Harper, Chretien, or Martin -- can slip in and out of international summits with barely a notice. And, at the APEC summit this year, the big stars of the show are U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. They get their pictures in the paper a lot.

But having Mrs. Harper handy seems to be the secret to getting a bit of Canada into the local paper, the first mention (below left) I've seen of our country here all weekend.

weekend.