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Artist can draw with both hands and both feet at the same time

<p dir="ltr">Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam has taken being ambidextrous to the next level, as she taught herself to not only use both her hands to create her art, but her feet as well. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rajacenna is a former child prodigy who, at the age of 16, was discovered as one of the world’s best and youngest hyper-realistic pencil drawing artists.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now 28 years old, Rajacenna is known worldwide for being quadridextrous, as she uses both her hands and both her feet at the same time to create up to six photo-realistic portraits at the same time.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Rajacenna knew she was talented with her hands, she was surprised to discover the talent transferred to her feet. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love to challenge myself so I thought why not try for the first time painting with my feet while drawing in a realistic way, while being upside down and also one drawing in 3D,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It surprised me how much control I was able to have over my feet, something I never realised before. All that time I was drawing while I thought my feet were useless with art and now, I discovered they can do way more than I thought!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Rajacenna’s talent was proven during an EEG scan for a popular scientific TV program when it became clear that during drawing, there is superhuman brain activity to be registered in Rajacenna’s brain, according to neuro therapist and world’s number one EEG Biofeedback expert Bill Scott.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Scott said Rajacenna is an “extraordinary human being; she has a very exceptional brain”, claiming, “I have never seen this before in anyone’s brain.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/enZbw1j8-ZE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><em>Image credits: Youtube</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-59ad9a48-7fff-f220-3f61-c21971eb0597"></span></p>

Art

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle snubbed by Dutch royals

<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly been snubbed by the Dutch royals ahead of Meghan’s first trip outside the US since ‘Megxit’ in 2020.</p> <p>The couple will be travelling to The Netherlands for four days for The Invictus Games, which open on Easter Sunday. The Royals would historically stay with the Dutch royal family, headed by King Willem-Alexander, aged 54.</p> <p>But Harry and Meghan have reportedly not been invited to stay at the palace in the Hague and will take a hotel instead.</p> <p>The snub comes as the couple has apparently been denied the opportunity of armed security in the Netherlands. Harry and Meghan lost access to their British taxpayer-funded security in January 2020 when they stepped back as senior working royals.</p> <p>They now have privately funded close personal protection in the US, but it has been reported that Dutch authorities will not permit the team to be armed while on Dutch soil. It is still unclear if the couple will visit the UK after their time in The Netherlands, after they did not return home for Prince Phillip’s memorial in London last month.</p> <p>A legal representative for Harry has previously said the 37-year-old said the family was “unable to return home”, fearing it was too dangerous without security there.</p> <p>On Monday, a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry confirmed that Meghan will attend the first few days of the Invictus Games.</p> <p>The Invictus Games, co-founded by Prince Harry, pits sick and injured veterans against each other in sporting events, and is aimed at “showing how the power of sport can inspire and heal us all”.</p> <p>The 2020 games were postponed to 2021, and then again to this year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

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Museum calls on Dutch government for a $270 million helping hand

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Dutch government is backing an expensive venture by Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum to purchase a $270 million Rembrandt self-portrait. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The painting, known as </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Standard Bearer (1636)</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is one of the last masterpieces by the Dutch artist still in the hands of a private collector. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The artwork is going up for sale by the Rothschild family, who have had the painting in their possession since 1844, after it belonged to the King of England. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Financial pledges have come from </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Rembrandt Association, the Rijksmuseum Fund, the Dutch state and the museum’s acquisition fund in order to afford the artwork’s hefty price tag. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits, the organisation has been trying to procure the painting for almost five years. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement, the museum said that the 22 works by Rembrandt in the Hague’s collection provide an “overview of the artist’s life,” and that the present work, being “one of the first paintings that Rembrandt made after he established himself as an independent artist in Amsterdam … has so far been the missing link in this overview.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the sale has yet to be closed, Dutch officials are already celebrating the new addition to the world-famous collection.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ingrid van Engelshoven, the Dutch minister of education, culture, and science, said in a statement, “After a journey of centuries, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Standard Bearer</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is now returning home for good.” </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Art

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MH17 memorial opens in Amsterdam on three-year anniversary

<p>The families of those killed in the MH17 tragedy will gather in the Netherlands today on the three-year-anniversary of the atrocity to remember the 298 people who died when their plane was shot down over Ukraine.</p> <p>The relatives of the 38 Australians who died have travelled to the Netherlands and will gather at a park near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to remember and honour their loved ones on the three-year anniversary.</p> <p>A new memorial to the victims – a forest of trees planted in the shape of a memorial ribbon – will be officially opened. Each tree carry the name of every person who died on the plane, and an amphitheatre in the centre of the forest brings all 298 names together.</p> <p><img width="448" height="252" src="https://cdn-hit.scadigital.io/media/21316/mh17-monument-online.png?preset=MainImage" alt=" MH17 Forest Monument Unveiled On 3 Year Anniversary" class="article__image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>The flags of all the countries who lost citizens will be flown at half-mast. A number of nationalities lost their citizens in the atrocity, with the flight killing 196 Dutch citizens.</p> <p>Around 2000 people are expected to attend the opening. The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will be attending the ceremony.</p> <p>The Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Airlines flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine on July 17, 2014. It is believed to have been carried out by pro-Russian rebels fighting against the Ukrainians near the border.</p>

International Travel

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Dutch woman in her 90s ticks “getting arrested” off bucket list

<p>What’s on your bucket list? For most people, it’s travelling the world, spending time with loved ones and maybe doing something a little adrenaline-pumping like going skydiving. For one Dutch woman, however, that wish was simply to get arrested.</p> <p><img width="500" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33695/image__500x500.jpg" alt="arrested" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Pushing 100 years old, Annie’s unusual dream to be “booked” and “experience a police cell from within” came true last week, when officers at her local police station in Nijmegen-Zuid, Netherlands handcuffed the nonagenarian and placed her in jail.</p> <p>See her special moment in the gallery above and tell us in the comments, what’s the strangest item on your bucket list?</p> <p><em>Credit: Facebook/Politie Nijmegen-Zuid via Storyful</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/elderly-man-dancing-in-street/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Sweet elderly man dancing in the street will make your day</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/grandma-paints-from-hospital-bed/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>83-year-old gran creates stunning paintings from hospital bed</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/bride-asks-92-year-old-grandmother-to-be-her-bridesmaid/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Bride asks 92-year-old grandmother to be her bridesmaid</strong></em></span></a></p>

Retirement Life

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Young and old live together in harmony in Dutch aged care home

<p>Could you imagine living with a group of university students in your old age? It might sound strange, but intergenerational living is changing lives in this Dutch aged care home. Together, these students and their elderly companions are learning, living and, most importantly, having fun – despite the 60-odd age gap.</p> <p>The Humanitas aged care home in Deventer in the Netherlands offers rent-free accommodation to six students in return for 30 hours a month of socialisation with the home’s residents. Watch the video above to see how the arrangement is solving both the student housing crisis and improving the lives of otherwise lonely aged care patients.</p> <p>What do you think about this program? Would it work here in New Zealand? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Video: Dateline / SBS</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/07/89-year-old-uses-computer-course-to-connect-with-family/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">89-year-old becomes tech-savvy master to connect with family across the globe</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/07/grandparents-share-secrets-to-a-happy-marriage/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Grandparents share their adorable 5 secrets to a happy marriage</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/07/nursing-homes-are-helping-residents-find-love/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Nursing homes are helping residents find love</strong></span></em></a></p>

News

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Apple Dutch baby

<p>Breakfast or dessert? With this delicious apple Dutch baby pancake, you don’t have to choose between the two.</p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients: </span></strong></p><p><em>Syrup</em></p><ul><li>4 cups of apple cider</li><li>2 tablespoons of butter</li><li>1 tablespoon of brown sugar</li><li>1 teaspoon of vanilla extract</li><li>½ teaspoon of cinnamon</li></ul><p><em>Dutch baby</em></p><ul><li>3 eggs</li><li>¾ cup of milk</li><li>¾ cup of flour</li><li>1 teaspoon of vanilla extract</li><li>¼ teaspoon of salt</li><li>1 teaspoon of cinnamon</li><li>4 tablespoons of butter</li><li>1 large pink apple, sliced</li><li>1 tablespoon of brown sugar</li></ul><p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method: </span></strong></p><p>1. To make syrup, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cider, butter, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon to a boil. Reduce heat and let boil for 30 to 45 minutes or until a syrupy consistency. Let cool before use.</p><p>2. To make Dutch baby, preheat oven to 220°C.</p><p>3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, salt and ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon.</p><p>4. In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add apple, topping with brown sugar and the remaining cinnamon.</p><p>5. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing, until apple is soft. Move to plate.</p><p>6. After wiping skillet, heat in the oven for 10 minutes or until hot.</p><p>7. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, melting to coat.</p><p>8. Place apple in the middle of the skillet and pour batter atop.</p><p>9. Bake in oven until puffy and golden yet soft in the centre, for about 12 to 15 minutes.</p><p>10. Serve under apple cider syrup.</p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/french-toast-sticks/">French toast sticks</a></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/08/cinnamon-bun-pancakes/">Cinnamon bun pancakes</a></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/choc-pancakes/">Triple chocolate pancakes</a></strong></em></span></p>

Food & Wine

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Apple Dutch baby

<p>Breakfast or dessert? With this delicious apple Dutch baby pancake, you don’t have to choose between the two.</p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients: </span></strong></p><p><em>Syrup</em></p><ul><li>4 cups of apple cider</li><li>2 tablespoons of butter</li><li>1 tablespoon of brown sugar</li><li>1 teaspoon of vanilla extract</li><li>½ teaspoon of cinnamon</li></ul><p><em>Dutch baby</em></p><ul><li>3 eggs</li><li>¾ cup of milk</li><li>¾ cup of flour</li><li>1 teaspoon of vanilla extract</li><li>¼ teaspoon of salt</li><li>1 teaspoon of cinnamon</li><li>4 tablespoons of butter</li><li>1 large pink apple, sliced</li><li>1 tablespoon of brown sugar</li></ul><p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method: </span></strong></p><p>1. To make syrup, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cider, butter, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon to a boil. Reduce heat and let boil for 30 to 45 minutes or until a syrupy consistency. Let cool before use.</p><p>2. To make Dutch baby, preheat oven to 220°C.</p><p>3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, salt and ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon.</p><p>4. In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add apple, topping with brown sugar and the remaining cinnamon.</p><p>5. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing, until apple is soft. Move to plate.</p><p>6. After wiping skillet, heat in the oven for 10 minutes or until hot.</p><p>7. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, melting to coat.</p><p>8. Place apple in the middle of the skillet and pour batter atop.</p><p>9. Bake in oven until puffy and golden yet soft in the centre, for about 12 to 15 minutes.</p><p>10. Serve under apple cider syrup.</p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/french-toast-sticks/">French toast sticks</a></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/08/cinnamon-bun-pancakes/">Cinnamon bun pancakes</a></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/choc-pancakes/">Triple chocolate pancakes</a></strong></em></span></p>

Food & Wine

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