WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE RAIN MAKES

Alyssa Roenigk

Quick, someone fetch us a tumbleweed to really complete this picture!

Friday morning, we woke up, went outside and saw an old friend none of us had seen since arriving in Beijing: the Sun. Thursday night's rain storm was the worst we've experienced in the 10 days we've been here, and its affects on the atmosphere were astonishing. Thursday had been the smoggiest day yet, and the visibility was terrible. Today, there is barely a cloud in the sky, and you can actually see the mountains. The rains last weekend certainly improved the air quality, and even revealed a glimpse of blue in the sky. But, unlike today, the sun remained hidden behind a wall of thick, white clouds. Not so today, where the sun is shining brightly, which might explain the crowds finally walking around the Olympic Green.

Since the Games began last Saturday, the streets around the Olympic Green have been empty. The "sold out" venues have been littered with empty seats—at the USA-Greece basketball game Thursday night, entire sections in the lower levels went unused. The women's gymnastics final Friday afternoon had at least one empty seat in virtually every row, and even the swimming events are far from full. At Wednesday's morning session, most of the press section was completely empty on a day Michael Phelps set yet another world record.

Alyssa Roenigk

Even the heavily anticipated Greece-USA basketball rematch couldn't fill the arena.

Unlike Olympics of past, walking around the Olympic Green feels less like a stroll through Disneyland than a late-night jaunt through the backlots of MGM Studios. Access to the Green is limited to folks with credentials and ticket holders, which doesn't amount to many people, and it certainly doesn't encourage a very international crowd.

Everyone with access to the Green passes through one security checkpoint. This was meant to limit the number of security checks, as there are none at the individual venues. Once you're in, you're in. But what initially seemed like a good idea has actually made the Olympics feel more exclusive than an Academy Awards party.

The empty streets have not gone unnoticed by members of the IOC, however, and they are now issuing 30,000 day passes to anyone interested in checking out the Olympic Green. There are also rumors they may open the Green to all spectators sometime next week.

Now, let's get them some tickets.

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