It’s always party time in the Winehouse, such as during the annual Amy Winehands party. Here, all the guests get two bottles of wine taped to their hands.
How they laugh, sitting in the kitchen. The Oreo cake has just been finished when Aimée (23) starts talking about house parties. Because parties, well they’re a constant theme in the five room apartment on Oostmolenwerf.
Last year, one of their parties attracted around two hundred guests to Oostplein. The kitchen walls – along which four plastic sick bowls are stacked – look nice decorated with all the collages. Each one is a collection of characteristics of the dream man of one of the girls. Looking at the cut out washboard abs, one of them clearly has a penchant for six packs.
The girls made the collages for their blind date dinner last year. They all found a date for each other, asked the men to dinner and cooked an amazing meal. Judith: “A tradition in this house. We added that everyone had to be dressed up. Just because it’s fun.” Everyone said they had a ‘nice’ evening.
Traditions
Traditions are important anyway in the apartment where gin and tonic is the house drink and the doors of the rooms are always wide open – because that’s fun. This year, the fifth Amy Winehands party will take place: a house tradition which has been continued by the current inhabitants. No one knows why it is, but the guests arrive with two bottles of wine. That’s compulsory. At the door, two of the girls tape these bottles to both of the guests’ hands. The tape may only be taken off when one of the bottles is empty. Aimée: “That makes for a very awkward party. Really funny.’’
Problems occur when you need the toilet and when the bottles are chilled. Aimée: “It’s better not to put the wine in the fridge beforehand, otherwise you’ll get very cold hands.” The date of the next party – its fifth anniversary – is still a secret. “We don’t want a Project X.”
Unlimited sociability
At times when it’s quiet in the Winehouse, things get busy in the cellar of the complex, where bar De Lage Wiek is located. Another highlight of ‘the highest and most fun student flat in Rotterdam’: the roof. Tickets for the New Year’s Eve party will soon be available. Judith: “It does get cold, but the view is amazing. You get a good view of all the fireworks. You can also see the World Port Days from there.”
And otherwise, on those rare moments when nothing’s happening in the flat, there’s always Rotterdam city centre, which is just a few minutes’ cycle ride away. Judith: “It’s never dull here.”
