Before he left the States for the UK back in 1997, Hunter's sister warned him not to be too smiley or friendly - 'they're suspicious of optimism'. He laughed, hugged her goodbye and merrily boarded the plane. One attempt at a chirpy greeting on the London Underground was enough to teach him the truth of his sister's words, with an entire carriage staring at their feet, or at him, in horror.
The ensuing years living among the British have continued to throw up more questions - and occasionally some answers - for Hunter: experiencing weather that is best for suicidal, alcoholic, posthumously-famous poets leads him to ponder whether early Britons committed a cosmic violation that resulted in the punishment of endless rain; while the British tendency to start relationships in a vague, alcohol-induced fashion continues to prove perplexing for someone used to American dating etiquette.
One of the most popular and thought-provoking comedians in the UK, and a regular on TV, Reginald D. Hunter explores the good, the bad and the ugly of living in Britain in this, his first book, Dances with Limeys.