Peter - Day Four - Ruudt Peters and Andrea Wagner

The view of an regualar Amsterdam street with it's briliant character.

Today was the day that we meet with Ruudt Peters, one of the most well international contemporary jewellers. Of course, once we arrived after a brisk cold walk through the streets of Amsterdam, he greeted us, we put our coat away, then he started his presentation.

The unique scenery of our walk to Ruudt Peters' studio.

One of the great things about this trip, as I noticed during Ruudt's presentation, is the fact that we get to actually meet this artists, and have them explain their thought process, approach to the work, and the reason behind the piece that you would not get from any book, article or post. Basically, information in a untampered form.

Couple hours later, we graciously thanked Ruudt for spending his time to talk with us and present himself, and took a tram to Andrea Wagner's home/studio.

Few minutes late, buzzed on Andrea's intercom, and we arrived. Andrea then proceeded to show us her work from graduate pieces to the most recent pieces. During her presentation, she said some that caught me off guard a bit.

"It take great courage to leave your mark on the culture."

This really resonated with me. For me, as a Third Cultured Kid (a child who hasn't live in their birth culture or either of their parents' birth cultures, thus developing their own unique culture, the third culture) this was an interesting comment. My fellow TCK friend and I have had many discussions about this before in which we've always had to mould to the home culture that we were taking residences in, and that we should NOT push our ways of thoughts and thinking because we are guess.

However, Andrea's comment made me really think about this subject. Should I be brave and push my ideas in front in centre of the culture I have lived in? Do I have the bravery to do such as thing? Should I go against the things I have learnt from being an expat and break the traditional customs?

"The brewery next to the windmill" 

After the tour, before we went back to the hostel, Karin surprised us by having a tour of a famous local brewery next door to a windmill.