Munich

The dirty little secret of the Summer Olympics showed up at opening ceremonies Friday night, tapping a quiet beat on the consciousness of a world that wants to forget. They didn't march into the center of Olympic Stadium; they strolled around the back. They didn't sit together; it could not be arranged. They didn't carry signs; it is not their way.

Chinese Premier Li Peng canceled official appearances and retreated to his Munich hotel after being hounded by protesters during a weeklong visit to Germany. Rather than face more noisy human rights protests, Li opted out of an afternoon boat trip and farm visit outside Munich after meeting with business leaders, the Bavarian state press office said.

Two men with suspected links to Islamic extremists were taken into custody by Munich police, and security at the Oktoberfest beer festival has been increased as videotapes threatening Germany continued to surface on the Internet, officials said. Two men from Arab countries were arrested Saturday, the same day authorities banned flights over Oktoberfest, said Munich Police Chief Wilhelm Schmidbauer. Such bans are usually imposed only during visits by high-ranking state visits. Traffic was also restricted around the Theresienwiese, the 77-acre festival grounds where Oktoberfest is held for 16 days each year.

"Reaching for 5 Stars" [Feb. 10, part of the "Unlocking China" series] points out a difficulty that many top hotel chains face -- how to teach world-class service in cultures that may not share similar concepts. It's not so much language differences or decor as it is the "too busy to bring you room service" attitude that fairly exemplifies this challenge. Guests of world-class hotels expect a positive spin on a response to a request, even when it must be denied. Monica Lindblad Munich, Germany Tourism is important to China, but it has unfortunately brought destruction of the country's wonderful ancient culture.

The 1994 Lillehammer Games were the most-watched Olympics in history, finishing 14% ahead of the record set by the 1972 Summer Games in Munich. The average rating for CBS's 16 nights of prime time coverage was 27.8, Nielsen Media Research said. The Munich Games, interrupted when Palestinian terrorists killed 11 members of the Israeli team, got a 24.4 rating on ABC. The Lillehammer Games finished 18% above the previous record for a Winter Olympics, set by ABC at Lake Placid, N.Y, in 1980.

MUSIC Born in Munich and educated at Boston's Berklee College of Music, New York-based guitarist Leni Stern's recent recordings are lush, deeply felt explorations of the sound of Africa colored by Stern's soulful lyrics, lightly sanded voice and dazzling instrumental prowess. The Blue Whale, 123 astronaut E S Onizuka St. Suite 301. 9 p.m. Sat. $10. http://www.bluewhalemusic.com.

When Howard Cosell introduced Rey Robinson to a nationwide television audience on Aug. 31, 1972, the ABC announcer said, "This young man will be scarred by this all his life." "This" was the failure earlier that day of U.S. 100-meter runners Robinson and Eddie Hart to arrive at the starting line in time for their quarterfinal heats during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and, for years afterward, Robinson believed Cosell was right.