Reverse Culture Shock

I have just subscribed to enough magazines to fill the waiting rooms of several dentists.  Thanks to the lousy economy, I suppose, there are phenomenal deals  — $15 for TWO YEARS’ worth of Glamour!  $12 for two years of Parents; $15 a piece for a year of Vogue and Vanity Fair; 38 cents per issue for a year of Entertainment Weekly.

I threw in People and the Economist for good measure.

I didn’t subscribe to any magazines in London. It just didn’t seem to be the done thing.  I tried to get Vanity Fair, but it was often late, or just didn’t come at all. And the deal wasn’t nearly as good as the ones I’m getting here.  The special offers there seemed to include the odd free gift — say, a pair of flip flops, or a canvas blend bag — but not huge savings.  38 cents per issues?! Can you afford NOT to buy it?!

Of course, I’m not actually going to have time to read them all — or even any of them.  But that’s OK. The fun part has just been signing up.