Disorderly conduct

Finns are quiet, polite, orderly, prepared to wait in a queue...


Unless.....


You attempt to take communion in the Cathedral! No such thing as queue up in the central aisle, retreat down the side aisles here. Basically, the priest invited the congregation up and it was every (wo)man for themselves. Maybe it's because the altar rail is semicircular, so there's no clear system. Yours truly was walking up expecting to wait his turn politely, and got elbowed and barged out the way by any number of little old ladies, who would make The All Blacks ruck and maul techniques seem like a nice little tea party. Was this due to the fact that the service was already an hour and fifteen mins long, and their bladders weren't up to it, I don't know. The clear winner in the fray was one decidedly antiqued old dear with a mobile zimmer frame. She was obviously well-known for her ankle tapping technique, as all the other parishoners recreated the parting of the red sea in her path.

On a more positive note, it was really nice to sit in a congregation, with 'just' the organ, and no choir, and hear some really convincing singing. Also, there was no 'drag' - it's a big building, but everyone jumped in like a seal into a bucket of fish!

(Both of these aspect were touched upon a while ago in the "it's only a game" supplement a while back in April, but i'd forgotten, so it was a bit of a shock).