MOTnews 47 (26/09/2003)

MOT afternoons are back!

The Museum is a hive of activity and since last year, children between the ages of 10 and 12 have been invited to special afternoon classes at the MOT on Wednesdays, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

During these afternoon sessions, children learn about old techniques in a relaxed and creative atmosphere.

The MOT afternoons started again in September and there are still a few places available. We already have the following activities on the agenda for October:

October

• 1/10/2003: making masks
• 8/10/2003: making paints for a painting
• 15/10/2003: baking bread in the wood-fired oven of the Liermolen
• 22/10/2003: making wooden animal figurines

The education department will be happy to give you a copy of the complete calendar.

Would you like your group to take part in one of our afternoon projects at the MOT on a different date? If so, please feel free to contact Petra Vandermeiren, our educational project specialist, who will be happy to discuss this in greater detail. She is also the person to contact to register for MOT afternoons and can be reached on 02/270 81 11 or via e-mail at info@mot.be.

GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES

In the Kids news section, we tell you all about potpourris and the origin of their "smelly" name. So here's a recipe for an old-fashioned air freshener: a pomander.

Take a nice fragrant orange or lemon and stud it all over with cloves. For extra effect, you can also roll the fruit through a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and a drop or two of orange or lemon oil. Wrap it in a sheet of kitchen roll or absorbent paper and put it in a warm place to dry. When it is dry, tie a colourful ribbon around it, making a loop so you can hang it up. A pomander gives off a lovely fragrance and will even keep insects away.

SAY WHAT?

In this MOT-news item we try to explain proverbs and sayings that have their roots in our technical history. Similar proverbs are found in different languages, but each language has it's own typical sayings. Therefore we do not translate this item in English.

KIDS news: something to tell your children this evening

In today's MOT news, we explain another word that you might hear quite a lot, without really knowing where it comes from: "potpourri".

We all know potpourri as a mixture of fragrant dried flower petals and herbs that people use to freshen up the living room or the clothes cupboard.

But did you know that the origin of this word is more "smelly" than "fragrant"?

It comes from the French "pot pourri", which literally means "rotten pot"!

In earlier times, people made potpourri from fresh and humid herbs. After a while, the herbs would wilt and rot and the humid mixture became a sort of paste giving off a fragrance for several months. In other words, it was a pot full of rotting things, but one that smelled good.

Today, most potpourris are made from dried flowers and herbs.

Although a dry potpourri might look prettier, the scent is soon gone, whereas a humid potpourri gives off a more intense fragrance for a much longer time.

The word "potpourri" also has another meaning in English, namely, a medley of popular songs. Think for example of the potpourri of summer hits of 2003. Maybe you can make the connection with our explanation of the word. After all, a medley is a big jumble of songs, much like our potpourri, which is really a big jumble of herbs and flowers.