HOW TO BE FINNISH

Finland, ranked the world’s happiest country for six years in a row by the World Happiness Report, recently handpicked 14 students out of some 150,000 applicants in 190 countries to come to the country and learn how to be happy like a Finn. Participants were flown to the country for the four-day seminar at Kuru Resort as part of a tourism stunt to learn how to “find their inner Finn.” Coaches were covering four themes essential to “Finnish happiness” — nature and lifestyle; health and balance; design; and food and wellbeing. In between classes, guests enjoy private villas that come equipped with a spa and sauna, surrounded by fragrant pine forests and breath-taking views.
* Gee, 14 whole people. Don’t spend too much of that $316 billion gross domestic product, Finland.
* A big part of being happy in Finland is forcing yourself to forget that you share a border with Russia.
* Finland is famous for saunas, reindeer, and I think there’s a lighthouse somewhere. Are you sure four days is enough to see it all?
* The trip is free, but you know they’ll be exiting them through the gift shop when they leave, try to recoup some of that cost.
* There’s probably also a World Misery Report, but that seems like more of a Monday story.