G is for gentlemen

Today I went to the bank to see why my Visa Electron was declined on Thursday. The Sampo bank was packed! I got there around 10:30 this morning after V�in�'s appointment (thank goodness for buses!) and waited in one of the teller line ups (there were two). An elderly gentleman was ahead of me and he was standing patiently with his cane and kind of hunched over - really a dear.
Suddenly he turns to me and starts talking to me in Finnish. I apologized and told him "I don't speak Finnish. Sorry". The man ahead of him turned and looked at me and explained that the elderly man wanted me to go sit down (as I had a back pack filled with library books) and V�in� wrapped to my chest and rest. I thought that was very sweet but said I was okay. The English-speaking Finn asked if I was getting money - I explained no, my card didn't work. So he suggested I go to the front desk (only one or two people in line) instead of having to wait in such a long line.
How kind!

I got to the front desk and thankfully V�in� is fast asleep, as I think he'd be quite upset having to wait in a warm bank full of people. I was behind one lady and this other lady leaned over from the 2nd teller line up and says something to me in Finnish. I told her sorry I don't speak Finnish. She said something else - THEN BUTTED IN FRONT OF ME!!!!
I was pissed. Simply because I have V with me and didn't know how long this sleepy spell would last (he also had 2 vaccines today) and plenty of things to do. Anyway I held my tongue and gave her the dirtiest looks possible behind her back. One lady turned to look at me from the 2nd teller line and I am pretty sure I had a mean single highly arched eyebrow. THANKFULLY she didn't take long but what took the longest was she requested the guy at the front desk to call someone for her. Then she would leave (move away at least 2 feet) and COME BACK to listen to the telephone conversation the front-desk guy was having....which was fine - except she did this repeatedly.
I'm sure this all took under 5 minutes but she made it feel like 10.
Then she would bend over in front of me repeatedly and stand up quickly...
I hate to say this (as she was in her 50's I think - which isn't very old at all really) but I wanted to boot her in the butt.

Anyways the front desk guy was nice and explained that the systems were down for a couple of hours on Thursday. I also had to hold my tongue when I was talking to him because he had this crazy twitch in BOTH eyes...they kind of alternated between twitches.

Yes my card works!!