Sydney is devoid of the multitude of concession stands and the carnival atmosphere that marked the Atlanta games four years ago. Though a floating IBM Surf Shack sits on the other side of Sydney Harbor, the harbor's beauty still manages to stand on its own. But the area is not without flair. A few of them performed near Carmi Wong, including a woman painted in gray from head to toe and posing as the Statue of Liberty. It's very multicultural, more diverse than Melbourne or Perth.
Australian people are very sincere, very honest.
But then, not everyone feels that way. There's also some resentment among Sydneysiders because their greatest international visibility occurs when Sydney is at its least normal. The games have brought problems. There have been environmental protests at Bondi Beach, a controversy surrounding a jailed Indonesian member of the International Olympic Committee and an Olympic boxing coach from Uzbekistan who was detained after customs officials found vials of human growth hormone in his luggage. The most dubious of all beliefs behind the present games is that this is Sydney's chance to show itself to the world.