National Anthem: The Netherlands

I'll be starting a 10 week travel around the world by listening to the National Anthems of different countries. I'll start with the Dutch anthem and then pick 9 more, some well known but also some not so well known.

The Dutch anthem is best known as 'Het Wilhelmus' refuring to Wilhelmus van Oranje. It is said that the Wilhelmus is the oldest national anthem in the world. There is some international confusion concerning the oldest anthem in the world though. The Japanese anthem, Kimigayo, has the oldest (9th century) lyrics, but a melody was only added in the late 19th century, making it a poem rather than a anthem for most of its livespan. Although the Wilhelmus was not officially recognised as the Dutch national anthem until 1932, it is the oldest in the world. The anthem was first written down in 1574 making it over 440 years old.

the complete anthem as 12 verses, but we usually only sing the first and sixth.

Here is the lyrics:

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe
ben ik, van Duitsen bloed,
den vaderland getrouwe
blijf ik tot in den dood.
Een Prinse van Oranje
ben ik, vrij, onverveerd,
den Koning van Hispanje
heb ik altijd geëerd.

 

Mijn schild ende betrouwen
zijt Gij, o God mijn Heer,
op U zo wil ik bouwen,
Verlaat mij nimmermeer.
Dat ik doch vroom mag blijven,
uw dienaar t'aller stond,
de tirannie verdrijven
die mij mijn hart doorwondt.

DIY: 3D-Lizard

We're going to make a 3D-Lizard in this blog.

I've been a little lazy making this blog and didn't make much photo's while making my lizard. So I'll be linking you to two other blogs where you can find a step by step picture instruction.

First we're going to make the 3D-lizard head.
you nead two square pieces of paper (you can pick the color)
I found a blog named ElemanteryYartFun with instructions. here you'll find a step by step instruction.
When you finished the head you can decorate it with a tongue and eyes. Or even with spikes and more.

Now we're going to make the body of the lizard. You'll find the instructions on Artolazzi blog. Note that you have to read from the bottom to the top of the blog.
Make sure you color it before gluwing it together.

Hope you have lots of fun making your own lizard!

Picture Monday: New York City

Last month I visited New York for 4 days. I've seen a lot. Here a few impressions by picture

DIY: Making the Eiffel Tower

So, we've been to almost every continent in the past weeks making something. Today the seventh continent Europe.
We are going to make the Eiffel Tower out of cake or cookies (you can choose)

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is a tower made out of iron. It was build in 1889 as the enterence arch of the 1889 World's Fair.
The tower is 324 meter high (you can compare it with a 81-storey high building).
Now we know a little about the Eiffel Tower so now we can start making our own.

What you need:
- a bowl with a little water
- powdered suger
- a spoon
- a knife
- cake or some cookies

First we are going to make the 'gluw' by mixing the water and the powdered suger. You have to try a bit and find the right amond (you probably need a lot of suger).
It has to be thick enouch to use as gluw.

Then cut you cake or cookies in the right sizes.
Now you start sticking them together. You probably need quite some waiting time to let the suger-gluw dry out.

Built till it looks like this.

 

Good luck trying to make your own!

Continent box Antarctica #1

Hi dear readers,

Today I will take you to the most Southern place in the world, Antarctica. It is a really special continent.
- Its the only continent that doesn't have a country (only territories)
- Its the only continent where nobody lives permanently (only the people staying in the research centers)
- Its is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent.
- 98% of the continent is covered under ice. This is 90% of all the ice in the world.

It is a difficult continent to make a box of.
For my continent box a made a piece of landscape!

I used styofoam, silver foil, transparent flower plastic and a glue gun. And for a finishing touch paper snowflacks.

Grey Explains: European Union

Today is Europe Day (9 may). On this day where they celebrate the peace and unity in Europe.

The Council of Europe was founded on 5 May 1949, and hence it chose that day for its celebrations when it established the holiday in 1964. In 1985, the European Communities (which later bedame the European Union) adopted the European symbols of the Counsil of Europe such as the Flag of Europe. However, the Community leaders decited to hold their Europe Day in commemoration of the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950. The declaration proposed the pooling of Frence and West German coal and steel industries, leading to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the first European Community, and hence is considered a principle founding moment.

Grey made a video clip to explain the European Union. Have fun watching it and I hope you'll learn something from it.