Top-Mag Issue 17 - Easter Special

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Transcript of Top-Mag Issue 17 - Easter Special

Page 1: Top-Mag Issue 17 - Easter Special

Top­Mag is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution­NonCommercial­ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by­nc­sa/3.0/ or send a letter to CreativeCommons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. All clip­art is courtesy of www.openclipart.org except our logo tikki­toucan. Photos are courtesy of www.commons.wikimedia.org except photos on pg4,pg5, pg10 and recipe photo pg 8.

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Hey T­M Readers,

Who doesn't love Easter? I mean, how many days a year do us

kids actually have an excuse to eat giant chocolate eggs? In

this issue, we've got a two page Easter special where you can

read all about the history of this festival as well as some

fun Easter traditions and facts. Plus, instead of buying cards

for friends and family, why not try making some yourself

with the help of our Arts & Crafts article?

We've also included a Hollywood­themed Party

Planner, a Fashion DIY article, this month's 5

Must­Try Exotic Fruits and interesting Crazy

Creatures and Unusual Sports articles.

Stuck for things to do during the Easter holidays?

Check out the Entertainment section with the latest

Book, Movie and Music Reviews or have a go at the

puzzles on page 11.Oh, and don't forget this issue's Culture Page

featuring Denmark; Take a look at all the cool places

the re are to visit, read some fun facts about the country

and try out a local Recipe for delicious cinnamon bars

(they're really good­ trust me, I tested them ;).

So just grab a chocolate bunny and get reading!

I was in a shopping centre that was really busy one Saturday.

I went to an ice cream shop and got an ice cream with bright

blue sherbet powder on top. About an hour later I went into

the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The blue sherbet had

gone all over my face and I had looked like a smurf all the

time. I was really embarrassed and washed it off straight

away.*o*Blathnaid, age 9I was playing in the basketball final for my team and we were

winning 19-13. I had the ball passed to me. By the way, I was

wearing my older brothers kit as mine was dirty. So I had

the ball passed to me and I managed to dribble up the court

and right in front of the basket. I jumped up to shoot the

ball and what happens? My shorts fall down around my feet.

And even worse! My brother got a video of it and showed it

to EVERYONE who knew me.John, age 11

90 million chocolatebunnies are produced eachyear in the United Statesfor Easter!

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Stay Where You Are AndThen Leave by John Boyne.Stay Where You Are And ThenLeave is a historical fictionbook set in World War I. Ayoung boy named AlfieSummerfield has his 5thbirthday the day that WorldWar I begun. His father joinsthe army straight away andleaves for training in a

The Lego Movie, Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher MillerTThe Lego movie stars many great actor voice­overs including those ofWill Ferrell and Morgan Freeman in which Emmet, on ordinary every dayconstruction worker, stumbles upon the one brick that will stop the evilLord Business. He instantly becomes the one person in Bricksburg thatcan save everyone from the Kragle. If you want to find out more aboutthe film and you are a big Lego fan and also a fan of comedy, I wouldstrongly recommend you to see it. Oh, and look out for a major twist!

military centre. His fatherstopped sending letters aftera few years and Alfiebecomes suspicious. After awhile he discovers a terriblesecret. His father is in amilitary hospital sufferingfrom shell shock. Alfie decidesto break him out but can hesucceed? Read the book tofind out. I thoroughly enjoyedthis book and wouldrecommend it to ages 9 Up.

Cool! by Michael MorpurguCool! is a book written in theperspective of young boy, Robbie,while in a coma after being hit bya car. Robbie takes his beloveddog, 'Lucky', out for a walk butdoesn't realize the gate to hishouse is open so he hasn't putthe lead on. Next thing we know,Lucky is racing across the roadright in front of a car. Robbierushes after him to save himand...... Robbie is stuck in a comaand nothing can wake him up. Hisclassmates, the man that hit him,not even his favourite footballer,

the famous Zola of Chelsea, is ableto wake him up. Then one day,against hospital rules, theimpossible happens. Lucky, whoRobbie believes is dead, issmuggled up to the ward byRobbie's Dad. Will the shock ofhearing Lucky alive and well bringRobbie out of his coma? Or is it toolate?I liked this book and wouldrecommend it to children who canread series like Horrid Henry andRainbow Magic books and arelooking for something slightlymore challenging.

Happy by Pharel WilliamsThis song's been toppingthe charts for some timenow... and for goodreason! You just have to'clap along' to it's catchylyrics, cool rhythm and funtune.Let it Go by Idina MenzelIdina's latest hit is a slowbut powerful song. Herlyrics are accompanied bya beautiful melody playedon the piano.

Sirens by Cher LloydThe British star's latestsingle from her sophomorealbum Sorry I'm Late,definitely shows off herunique voice and amazingvocals.

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For a Movie themed party you could print outpictures of your favourite actors and actresses andwrite the details of the party on the back of them. I

had a movie party a few years back and I found littleclapper­boards prints (the little black and white boardsthat they say action with before clapping the sides

together) on the Internet that I printed out to write on the back of them.

Try to have some movie scene type decorations. Maybe a blue carpet,some cameras, a directors chair, all set up in front of a set of your choice.You could have a white board with some lines from your favourite movie.It really depends on what type of decorations you can get/make.

The first thing that came to mind when I thought of games for a moviewas if everyone split into groups and got a few minutes tocreate a giant movie. The judges could be the adults at theparty.You could also play movie charades which is whereyou have to act out the title of a movie/actor/actress andthe other people have to guess who/what it is.

Food for a Movie themed party probably wouldn't differthat much from the food you would have at any otherparty except the cakes and things. You would still havesausages, pizzas, chicken nuggets, chips and whateverelse you eat at parties. The cake or cupcakes would maybebe decorated like movie tapes or even like the giant HOLLYWOODsign on the hill entering Hollywood.

by Roisin Clarke

You will need (For a basic design):A Needle,2 Colours of thread,Gift wrap ribbon,Scissors,Vest/T­shirt (preferably white),Lots of imagination!!(This is a very simple design, so a pinch ofimagination would really help. Maybelike adding buttons or ribbons. Let yourimagination run wild!)Step 1. Cut the right amount of one colour of thread(make sure it is neither too big nor toosmall). Thread this throughthe eye of the needle. Also,put a few knots at the endof your thread so that itdoesn’t move during thesewing process.

Step 2. Start sewing with long fluidstitches, a long stitch on the side of the t­shirt thatyou can see; on the other side, do as small a stitch as youcan. The effect of this, is one line, that seems to have nobreaks in it.

Step 3. Repeat these steps below the last stitches, but with yourother colour.Step 4. Next, tie the ribbon around the T­Shirt in a bow and vóila! Abeautiful, simple, hand­made t­shirt! Be prepared for admiring

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-Fold each sheet in half andcut a 6 cm slit in the middle ofthe folded white sheet.

-Fold in both edges of theslit and make creases so that a'beak' pops out when you openand close the card.

-Draw a chick's body aroundthe beak shape and add blackeyes, feet and wings.

-Avoiding the beak part,glue the back of the white cardto the orange paper and don'tforget to write 'Happy Easter'on the front of the card!

1 sheet of orange

card

1 sheet of white

card

scissors

glue

black and yellow

pencils

How to make aPop-Up Easter Card

Originally, Easter is believed tohave been a Pagan festivalcelebrated by the Saxons in honorof Eastre (later changed toEaster), their goddess of spring.Later, it became a Christiancelebration and holiday whichmarks the end of Lent and theresurrection of Christ. It is noton any certain day but it willusually occur between late Marchto late April.Easter customs can vary betweendifferent countries. In EasternEuropean countries, for example,it is typical to paint or decorateeggs where as in modern dayWestern Europe and America,children eat chocolate eggsdelivered by the Easter Bunny.Both eggs and rabbits are a symbolof spring, which is one of thereasons they've become part ofEaster traditions. Although, insome countries it is an EasterChicken or Bell who brings treatsinstead.

By Ryan Curley

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­ In Haux, France, every year on Easter Monday, they make aMASSIVE omelette! It is really big! They use up to and more than4500 eggs, and it can feed over 1000 people! I hope they all likeomelettes!­ In Norway, “Easter Thrillers” known as Paaskekrimmen arepublished. The Norwegians love their yearly crime novels! Sherl­eggHomes anyone!­In the Vatican and Rome, on Good Friday, the Pope commemoratesthe Via Crucis, Way of the Cross, in the Colosseum. On Easter Sunday,thousands of tourists and pilgrims alike congregate in St. Peter’sSquare to await the Pope’s blessing.­For over 100 years the White House has held an Easter Egg Roll onthe South Lawn. The activity involves rolling a coloured hard­boiledegg with a large serving spoon. Even the president takes part!

Now that you've seen so many different Easter traditions, I bet youwon’t be bored this Easter!

by Mairead Butler

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Have you ever heard of this tropical treat? Althoughnative to West Africa, the Ackee is a pear shapedfruit which is especially popular in Jamaica. Thebright-red skinned Ackee is the Jamaican nationalfruit and is used in traditional dishes. The fruit opensto reveal a cream coloured pulp topped with threeglossy, black seeds. It is then cooked and canned andalso made into wine. But be careful, the unripe oroverripe fruit is toxic, as well as the seed and skin!

As soon I discovered this awesome-looking fruit I was curious to do somemore research about it. The Tamarillois an egg shaped South Americanfruit that is part of the tomatofamily. Its colour varies from yellowand orange to deep red or purple (theskin may also have some dark stripes).The flesh is firm and contains many seeds which areslightly bigger than those of a tomato. The fruit is mostlyeaten raw - that is, uncooked, halved with the fleshscooped out - but is also made into juice, chutneys, curriesand deserts. Depending on the variety, the Tamarillo can besweet or sour and it's flavour issaid to be a cross between passionfruit and tomato.

I just discovered this fruit a few weeks ago and its brilliantemerald colour instantly caught my eye. Originally fromCentral America, Chayotes are 10-20cm long green fruits. They have apear-like shape and wrinkled orsometimes spiny skin. The apparentlybland-tasting flesh, ranging from greento white in colour, contains a singlenutty flavoured seed and has texturedescribed as a cross between a potatoand cucumber. The fruit is rarely eatenraw and is mostly cooked with seasonings or withother vegetables. The root, stem and seed of the plant is alsoedible.

Don't these berries look like jelly sweets from WillyWonka's garden? The 1 cm long, oval shaped Goumiis native to Korea, China and Japan. The orangey redfruit is deliciously juicy and hasa sweet but very sour flavoursimilar to rhubarb. They areeaten fresh, dried, canned ormade into beverages and are afavourite amongst children.

These delicious tropical fruits arenative to Central America andnorthern South America but are nowcultivated throughout the world.Guavas are 4 to 12 cm long, round-shaped fruit with green skin which varies in texturedepending on the variety. They have a strong fragrance similar tothat of lemon rind. The pulp, white to bubble gum pink, has a kiwi-like texture and a sweet flavour described as a cross betweenapple, litchi and grapefruit. In a word...yum!

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1. There are 443 named islands in Denmark, and only 17 of them are inhabited.2. The flag of Denmark is the oldest state flag still used in the world; it was first used in1219.3. The official name of Denmark is the “Kingdom of Denmark”.4. Denmark is ranked as the happiest place to live in the world based on the standards ofhealth, welfare and education.5. Aqua, the band who sing Barbie Girl are Danish!

by MaireadButler

Tivoli GardensWho doesn't love a good amusement park? This famous park situated in Copenhagenand built in 1843, is the second most popular seasonal theme park in the world. Itsmultiple rides include roller coasters, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, giant swings andmore!The Blue PlanetLove animals or the sea? Denmark's National Aquarium is the place for you! Dividedinto five main sections: The Amazon, The African Great Lakes, Evolution andAdaption, Cold Water and The Warm Ocean, the aquarium is home to over 20,000animals including piranhas, crocodiles, sea lions and sharks. A unique experience!Legoland Billund ResortSince Lego was invented in Denmark, you can be sure that the oldest Legoland in theworld is loads of fun! With millions of people visiting it every year, its roller coasters,water rides and several lego worlds are a lego fan's dream!

by Maya Brennan

Ingredients:1 egg3 cups plain flour1 cup packed brown sugar2 tbsp cinnamon1 1/4 cups melted butter2 tsp vanillacaster/granulated sugar

Denmark

1. Heat oven to 180'C.2. Beat egg then add remaining ingredients (except thesugar) and mix well.3. Press dough into an non­greased 13x9x2 inch pan.4. Sprinkle sugar evenly over bars.5. Bake for 15­20 minutes.6. Cool slightly then cut into bars.7. Remove from pan when completely cool and enjoy! !

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The Hummingbird is one of theworld's smallest bird. It feeds onflower nectar and insects. In orderto hover they flap their wings 12 to80 times per second. It is the onlybird that can fly backwards!

The wonderful Scarlet Ibis lives in theCaribbean and South America. Its dietconsists of shrimp and insects which itcatches with its thin bill whilst searchingin mud and under plants. This strange birdalso spends time with other birds such asstorks, spoonbills, egrets, ducks etc.

One of the most spectacular birds on theplanet is the peacock. The male peacock has blue - green or just greenplumage. The amazing plumage forms "eye" shapes on the peacockstail....talk about having eyes behind your back!It is mostly vegetarian but does eat insects. The female is called a peafowland the babies are called pea chicks.

Musical Canine Freestlye is a sportthat started around 1989. Thereare several countries thatcompete at it such as: Canada,England, USA and theNetherlands. The first officialMusical Canine international sportswas kick started in BritishColombia, Canada. This sport isbasically a dance done by dog andowner. The owner performs to themusic in an elaborate costumewhile the dog does a variety oftricks such as kneeling, rollingover, jumping etc. in conjunctionwith its owners own dance moves :)I personally saw twenty five videoson this sport and found it amazinghow the dogs actually obeyed theirowners. I really enjoyed watchingthis sport so you guys shoulddefinitely give it a try as well.

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Elizabeth Brennan works as a Set Decorator and Props Buyer forfilms and TV series. In this issue we got to ask her a fewquestions about her job...

My job title is either 'Set Decorator' or 'Props Buyer' ondifferent jobs - I work freelance for about 4 months at a timeon each project. Decorating sets means working with theProduction Designer, who's in charge of the whole look of a

TV show or film, and decorating the scenes we're filming. When I'm Buyer, itmeans buying or renting all the furniture [we call 'dressing'] and ornaments etc [we call'smalls']. I also have to pay close attention to the schedule to make sure we geteverything on time, and to return it on time if we rented it..and of course, we have tostick to a budget, so I have to keep an eye on that, so liking maths is handy! I oftenhave at least one assistant or trainee, and work with our prop team who look after allthe goods that come in; so, managing people and planning is really the biggest part ofmy job.

When I was in University I was involved in the Film Society and the Drama Society. Weput on plays and made some short films, and sometimes the director would ask me todecorate the sets. It was great fun, but at that time I didn't even think I could dosomething I loved so much and get paid for it!

After University I also studied Fine Art, because I was interested in having a creative job- I still didn't know I could decorate sets for a living! After a few years traveling andworking in different jobs, I was still thinking about film work so I started making shortfilms, where I met lots of people in the film industry who eventually asked me to workon bigger projects with them. My job is one that there is no particular university coursefor, and really the time I spent experiencing the world, and learning as much as I couldabout everything, is more important to my work than my degree.

In Ireland I workedon a lot of TV shows set in England, like 'Foyle's War' and 'George Gently', which are setabout 60 years ago - my favourite work is shows from the past, what we call 'period'work. Recently I've started working in Morocco a bit, on 'Homeland' last year, and nowI'm on a brand new American show called 'Hieroglyph' set in Ancient Egypt. The mostfamous films I've worked on are probably 'Leap year' and 'Breakfast on Pluto'.

I LOVE what I do. Anyone, with any job, who reallyreally loves it, is very lucky. I think my favourite partof my job is working on period shows and doing all theresearch to get the details just right. For example,yesterday I learned that the Ancient Egyptians hadducks and geese but not chickens - importantinformation for us to make the show feel real.

Waking before 6am! If we're in the office we start at 8am, but ifwe're shooting, sometimes we have to get there before the shooting crew to get the setfinished at 6am, all hands on deck! We also don't finish work until 7pm or later everyday, so it's hard to see any friends or family in the evening.

If you're organised, creative, and interested, try it out! It's hard work, long hours, andnot what everyone expects, so getting a job as a trainee on a production is the only wayto see if you'll really like it. If you do, it's very rewarding and interesting.

This is a really hard question. I've favourites from childhood like 'Mary Poppins', Iappreciate classics like 'The Godfather', and then there are films that just make me feelbetter every time I watch them.. too many to mention! I do also have a fondness forperiod films, so interested in the scenery as well as the action, such as the French 'LeHussard sur le Toit'.

Got questions about your futurecareer? We interview professionalsfrom all over the world to get theanswers!

This is a shot of the 'secretarialpool' from 'Foyle's War' for ITV. In1947 there was a lot of typing todo!

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