Michelle Obama Speaks On Why She Married Obama,How Hawaii Is Very Important To Her.

Wearing a yellow, floral patterned dress, she spoke about how Hawaii, where husband Barack was born, has become a 'special' place to her over the years.

She said: 'This state has a very special place in my heart. As many of you know, my husband was born and raised here.

'Our family has the privilege of coming here, the burden of coming back here every year and that's really one of the reasons why I married Barack. He has always talked about how growing up in this place has shaped his character.


'He is a very calm and focused individual. Hawaii is an incredibly diverse place, it's home to people of all different cultures.

'There is a special spirit here, a spirit of openness and tolerance. In many ways, Hawaii is really the perfect place for this APEC summit.'

All but one of the eleven spouses at the Ko Olina were women, with Tim Mathieson, the boyfriend of Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the only man.

The meal at the 4,000 acre Kualoa Ranch, Honolulu, came as U.S. President Barack Obama was meeting with dignitaries in Ko Olina.

Food was served on a hillside at the base of the Paliku Cliffs, overlooking the sparkling Kaneohe Bay and distinctive emerald cone of Mokoli'i Island.

The Obamas will be in Hawaii until tomorrow, before heading abroad to Australia and Indonesia as a continuation of his efforts to expand American economic presence in the region.