Parade of nations both on field, in stands

Opening Ceremony a three-hour party for globalized world

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updated 6:16 p.m. ET Aug. 13, 2004

ATHENS, Greece - African tunics, Muslim robes, blue suits and glittery T-shirts mingled at the Olympic stadium during the games’ opening ceremony Friday, where the parade of nations on the field was rivaled only by that in the stands.

The logos on the flags that waved throughout the complex had traveled far — from Japan, South Africa, Australia and Brazil. The Stars and Stripes were painted on many a cheek, and the Greek flag was emblazoned on shirts, hats, ties and even shoes.

“Citizens of the world, welcome to the great party in Athens!” the announcer said as the opening ceremony began.

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The show was a party for a globalized world, where people think little of crossing continents just for a chance to see a three-hour show.

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“Come on! It’s the Olympic Games,” said Xena Makarova, 22, of Moscow. “You see people from everywhere and talk with people from different parts of the world.”

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Added her friend, Dima Ishchenko, 22: “And it’s a great party!”

Jorge Diaz, 38, said he didn’t care that the 750 euros he paid for his ticket — more than 900 American dollars — represents about two months of his salary as a school administrator in Mexico City.

“It’s a dream to be at the Olympic Games. If I can’t get here as an athlete, at least as a spectator,” he said, patting his pot belly. “They say it’s the greatest show on Earth.”

Then he wrapped himself in a giant Mexican flag and headed to his seat.

Les and Gin Iturreria, 53 and 50, flew in for the games from Sacramento, Calif., and painted American flags on their cheeks before heading to the stadium. They came to see the games, but couldn’t pass up a pair of 900-euro tickets to the opening show.

“You watch it for years on television, and now we’re part of it,” said Gin Iturreria, a corrections officer.

The cash was a bigger sacrifice for Manuel Fuerte, a 41-year-old shopkeeper from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. But as he walked into the stadium he said he suddenly didn’t care.

“I paid 950 euros, and that doesn’t mean a thing,” he said. “At this moment, it means nothing.”

But some people appeared to be getting left out. Robab Shahrian, 42, traveled from Tehran, Iran, only to lose her friend — who was holding her ticket — in the crowd.

Dressed in dark blue robes and a veil, she pressed against a chain-link fence, desperate to catch a glimpse of her lost friend — and to see the show.

“I like to see the biggest ceremony in the world,” she said.