Do you take your coffee with sweat?

So here is another topic that is strangely quite different from good ole U.S.A.  The gym. 

After about a year of not having a regular workout routine, I decided to join the gym here.  I didn't really think too much about it, because a gym's a gym, right? Well pretty much, but there is one big difference that I think is really kind of funny!!!

I'm not going to say ALL gyms but the ones I have heard of generally have a cafe in them.  Why is this you may wonder? Well it seems you can't go longer than an hour without having a nice cup of hot coffee!  This is crazy to me for a couple of reasons. Number 1, I just can't drink a cup of steaming hot coffee right before a workout.  I'm pretty positive it would give me a side ache.  Number 2, after I workout you do NOT want me to sit down next to you for a cup of coffee.  I'm drenched with sweat and it doesn't stop for a good 30 minutes, shower or no shower. If you however like your coffee with a little sweat I would be happy to sit down next to you!

Some days it feels like the coffee shop, I mean gym is more of just a social hang out. They come to catch up on the latest gossip and may perhaps break a sweat in the the process. I may say it is a little refreshing to not have the huge meat heads there grunting away thinking they are "hot stuff". 

Today though has to be my favorite day at the gym by far!!! I walk in about an hour later than normal (thank you Jackson for sleeping in late!! ), drop Jackson of in the day care area (which is free, love that!) and there are approximately 20 people just sitting around having coffee, some still sweating, some in their polo shirts(did I mention a lot of men workout wearing nice polo shirts?) just getting ready for their workout. It was madness, I had to bump into people just to get through the crowd.  The workout area however was dead!  Good for me!! I am most of the way done with my workout and they start singing "happy birthday" in dutch of course. So not only is this a coffee shop, but it is a place to have parties :) When I am all finished and pick up Jackson I am talking with the girl at the day care about it being someones birthday and she says oh yeah there is food for everyone, it's a trainer's birthday.  Want to know what the food was? Donuts and Chocolate.  Really?!?! Isn't this the reason most of us are at the gym in the first place! I politely declined and was on my way!

I won't say our gyms are better but just different!  The coffee just isn't my cup of tea...