Party cultures of EUR students: bowls of fruit, beach dancing and beers from all over the world

It’s 22:55 on a Tuesday night, the cantus in Ahoy has just ended, and the crew of the association for international students is waiting at Café Beurs for the crowd to arrive for ESN Tuesdays at the Eurekaweek. An hour later the place is packed with students getting used to their new party culture. What is the party culture like in Thailand, Curaçao and Mauritius?

Thailand: ‘We drink till we die’

Napon (Business Information Management, 22) is from Thailand, where the legal drinking age is 20, but partying usually starts after 16. “Drinks are not expensive, and nobody is really checking your age. So Thais go straight into clubs from young age, no pre-drinks, no games. But because we have low alcohol tolerance, we drink till we die. We also take care of each other though.”

The most vivid party memory from back home? A bar table that Napon was sitting next to bribed the whole kitchen to open up after closing hours and cook ramen noodles for everyone. Best Thai beer to try, according to Napon? Singha.

The Netherlands & Curaçao: ‘Caribbeans dance better’

Jetrell (Health Psychology & Digital Interventions, 22) was born in the Netherlands and is Dutch-Caribbean (Curaçao) by blood, so while comparing the party cultures in the two, his answer is definitive: “Dancing skills! People in the Caribbean dance better. But also the vibe, as the environment plays a big role. Nothing beats dancing on the beach like in Curaçao. However, in the Netherlands there is music diversity, so you can go from one bar to another, hear different styles and get different vibes.” Go-to drink in NL? Obviously, great beer. In Curaçao? Nothing better than a night with rum.

Mauritius: 'I would dance the <em>sega</em>, but the music vibe isn't right'

Dheeraj (Media & Business, 23) also loves a diversity of music. In his home country Mauritius a mix of reggae, Bollywood and Caribbean tunes is popular at parties. “When you party in Mauritius, you listen to songs in Creole, French, Spanish, English. There is great cultural diversity. But because our parents are strict, we start partying a bit later, when you’re 17, 18, 19 years old.”

Dancing also plays a key role in the Mauritius party culture: “We have a special dance called the sega, which is our tradition. I would dance for you guys, but the music vibe here isn’t right. I need more reggae.” Anything special that you would see on a party table in Mauritius? Fruit bowls and cocktails with coconut water.