NORMAL LIFE: Finnish Consumerism

I waited patiently outside the store for more than twenty minutes. Stadium, one of Finland's better known chain stores specialising in sports gear was opening a new branch downtown. The crowd grew as the minutes approached 9am.

When the doors finally opened, I have never quite experienced anything like it - adults pushing and shoving, running around like kids as if enduring a sugar rush and reacting in that all-to-predictable hyperactive manner.

All this 'excitement' was set around a very well publicised offer of Hagflös-branded Goretex jackets with only sixty available. Normally priced at €495, they were on offer for €199. My first though was they were knock off's ie. stolen.

But that thought was quickly replaced with the belief that the jackets were indeed crap. Despite the crowd of people running around me like certifiable nutcases, I managed to get my hands on one of the jackets. I tried it on, and instead of being a fluffy winter jacket (which I expected because it's already -5C outside), it felt like putting on a plastic bin bag!

As the Gran in the Catherine Tate Show would exclaim: what a load of old shit!