If you come to England expecting waxed moustaches, cucumber sandwiches, the tipping of trilbies and regular use of the word "jolly", then you may leave a trifle disappointed.
Mike Baker has been one of the first television correspondents to write a regular column for the emerging BBC News website - long before anyone had coined the word "blog".
Outside the academics, I play basketball on a regular basis (don't ask about the jump-reach), do cross word puzzles with more interest than ability, and like classical music and art.