It takes all types

Many many times each day, in many places around the world, a desperate battle for territory takes place. A party makes ground, only for them to lose it later. A party will taste victory, only to taste defeat hours, minutes or even seconds later. It does not matter whom possessed the territory first or even who has the greater need. For some, the battle for territory is merely a distraction and for others, their perceived necessity.

The battle I refer to is not for land and high ideological, religious or political ideals do not underpin and drive it. The battle is for the lowly armrest, that shared dividing space between seats.

From the many visits I have had to the flying metal tube in the sky, I have observed effective and ineffective strategies. There is the negotiated solution, the concession and the familiarity based strategies (keys being the share and the cross over). The most brazen is the push off, where a party literally pushes another party's arm off the rest. Those who employ the push off, often use it multiple times in a flight, including after toilet breaks and meals. My equal favourites though are the individual and the team wait and pounce. Both require some distraction or event that results in the incumbent moving their arm. Once, I witnessed a person ask their mate in the row behind to ask the incumbent the time, on turning around and raising their watch clad arm, the incumbent lost the armrest.

Helsinki is a cool city.

In summer, owing to the amount of green space, the buzzing beer terraces and the vibe of the place, it feels eminently livable. I am told that in winter, the place is like a ghost town, with large sections of the community hibernating. Even so, I think I could live here.

The museums and galleries, though small and with limited collections, are good. There a are a number and range of decent restaurants. The people are chilled out and friendly (though some are a little strange, we saw someone dressed as superman, walking on a tightrope on our first day in town).

The strangeness continued when we took a day trip to Tallinn. On the ferry (really a cruise liner, with sleeping berths, a restaurant and two bars) across, we were entertained with some so called Finish dance music (a mix of music used in sleep trials and muzak), DJ "Retro" (who sang along to I will survive, and most hoped he didn't) and an impromptu aerobics class by a hen on her way to Tallinn for a hens weekend. DJ Retro had a few fans, including a lady of about 50 who moshed for the bulk of his set. From the number of people sporting trolleys full of alcohol on the trip back, alcohol is much cheaper in Estonia than Finland or they saw the need for provisions for DJ Retro take three. Given the dancing by the time we arrived back in Helsinki, it may have been the latter.

Tallinn, or the small part of it we saw in our few hours on land, was peaceful and nice. This was surprising, given our 'well preserved Old Town' fatigue.

A short distance off the coast of Helsinki, is the sea fortress of Suomenlinna. Suomenlinna (not Salmonella as one confused visitor kept referring to it), was built across four islands by the Swedes in 1748 and held until lost to the Russians in 1808. Although visited by hordes of tourists and a favourite of locals for picnics, it is easy to find a quiet corner or bay. In finding such a place, you may come across a German backpacker conducting a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in full dress or even a tattoo covered Fin teaching ukulele to a class of 15.

It takes all types.