You've probably guessed that the Experience My Culture team are passionate about how we see the 'new' culture emerging from multi-culturalism, and how we think that much of the work done around forcing a multi-culturalist view on people, whilst well meaning, doesn't work.

People are far more sophisticated than that aren't they? Well, we are each unique aren't we - and each of us has our own take on the broader cultural themes that run through society. How many times have you shouted at the TV, when someone has been representing a cultural view on your behalf, "Don't presume to speak for me - I don't think like that!" (To be swifty followed up by your significant other pointing out that the people on the telly can't actually hear you shouting).

Similarly the other meaning of the word culture - art, literature, food and music - is equally as frustratingly boxed off by people telling us how we should like our art. When in reality, culture in this context  is - or should be - simply an expression of culture in the other context.

I came across Tanya Raabe the other week when she painted in public at Tate Modern, I Tweeted her blog post about the experience because I loved her take on painting, art, her own personal culture and the relationship between the painter and the person being painted.

Have a look at her blog and the pictures on Flickr of her work, you'll see what I mean.

There are those among us who actively promote the social health and welfare of our communities, people who have little or no interest in financial gain or the desire to be centre of attention. Such individuals often lose themselves in the altruistic desire to develop and or maintain a system that serves to reinforce the very fiber of society at a microscopic and rudimentary level. I refer to the local social enterprise that more often that not begins as a direct result of a local need, a need to provide local children with a place to congregate; the coffee morning for senior citizens that prevents older people in our local communities becoming isolated, groups for: young parents, women, disabled people, the list, although not endless, is comprehensive. These groups are often duplicated in towns and cities all over the country, each existing as a single strand.

These services are more often than not run exclusively by volunteers, people who have identified a need within their local community and are not afraid to respond to that need by investing their own time and energy for little or no financial reward.  

So the question that we pose is this. What would happen if these groups began sharing? Sharing the odd greeting, information about who they are and what it is that they are trying to achieve in their all local area. Advice on how they applied for funding or the hurdles and or successes the achieved when they first started out.  

Part of the answer is that these individual strands would come together to form a stronger fabric that lends itself, not only to a wider support mechanism, but a source of information and learning that serves the local and wider community by seeking to develop ties between these groups. Not just by knowing about each other but by talking and visiting one another and actively taking time to consider the things we have in common. Regardless of where in the country we may live.

We invite you to come and share the details of your social enterprise with us. Create an account (It's all free of charge), submit your profile and let’s get to know each other, let’s share.

We love Twitter, not least because of all the new social media it's the one that has captured the creative imagination of people more than any other. Whether you use Twitter purely as a social medium to keep up to date with mates, or whether you use it as a search engine, or the place to go for your news, you cannot deny its versatility.

We love Twitter because it means that we can reach out to people and show them what Experience My Culture is about, but also we can source and share the latest in a wide range of culturally interesting news with you, our users.

We believe that culture - art, food, music, literature, craft - is inseperable from our own individual culture; in fact culture is simply an expression of our culture, if you see what we mean.

Every day we scour the world's media (do you know how much that is?!), to find the most interesting news and features about culture, and of course culture.

So if you don't have a Twitter account get one here and follow us, we are @expmyculture . 

Imagine this: in a small town in Northern England, people with heritage and lineage stretching across the world  live together. Only they don't, they live in different parts of the town clustered together with people with similar heritage and lineage. In each of those clusters are people who love football; there are people who love knitting; there are people who love cooking and they gather together in their neighbourhoods to talk about their interests and share experiences.

They get bored. They know there are probably people right across the town who do the same things they do, and they'd love to talk with them about knitting patterns; or about how to add the skills demonstrated by Man City at weekend to their own team training ideas; or about each others favourite recipes.

The thing is, some of those people who have the same interests look a bit different, from each other, and it's, well, awkward - and besides, if you listened to what people said about them maybe you wouldn't get on, would you?

What if there was some way that these groups could share stuff with each of their members but then share their groups stuff with other groups using the same space. Maybe they'd find that they have more in common than they think. Maybe they would start to enjoy each others company, conversation and interests.

That space is Experience My Culture.

If you want somewhere to share your interests register your profile here: start a group, or maybe just a conversation. We'd love to see you.

"The things we have in common have far more potency than the differences between us"

Barack Obama

Hairdressers, neighbours, or strangers at the bus stop - whenever we start a casual conversation it always seems

to start with the weather doesn't it? This national obsession was immortalised in the catch phrase of George Formby who knew a thing or two about humour and the way the British have the capacity to laugh at themselves: "Turned out nice again..." he'd say. 

The thing is, it is only a cultural obsession because of our Geography - we sit on the globe just below the jet stream, nicely placed to catch its  kinks and bumps. This is what gives us such variety of weather - and gives us something to talk about.

But how does that national culture affect someone who arrives to the UK from somewhere with boring weather? Or just generally nicer weather, what does that do to their culture?

This poem by Andrew Salkey sums up that coming to terms with a new place, and says much about how we come to terms with changes in culture, absorb them and assimilate them into our own individual culture. This is it:

A Song for England

An' a so de rain a-fall
An' a so de snow a-rain

An' a so de fog a-fall
An' a so de sun a-fail

An' a so de seasons mix
An' a so de bag-o'-tricks

But a so me understan'
De misery o' de Englishman.

So a conversation with a stranger always starts with the things we have in common - in the UK that's easy: the weather. If you are still wondering about Experience My Culture and what it is about, think of it like the place you can stop by and talk about the weather, and find out what else you have in common with everyone else.

'Turned out nice again...'

<!-- @page { size: 21cm 29.7cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } -->

Here's a thought: the way that media portray national events has more effect on our collective response to the event than our culture.

It's been snowing in the UK recently, quite a lot for our little isle with its temperate changeable climate. This has meant it's big news – snow related items abound, from tragedies, to forecasting, to fun in the snow, and snow related trivia. We've even branded the event The Big Freeze, and doubtless will tell our grandchildren about it when winters are all but forgotten as the world warms in the future.

But does the high-volume and high intensity of the reporting whip us in to a kind of mass hysteria that gets in the way of our just-getting-on-with-it? Why do we need to highlight acts of neighbourliness or kindness as we help each other through the 'snow-mergency'?

Isn't it enough to base our response to such events on the values and roots each of us has? Or do you think our cultural identity is so homogenised as to need guidance from the various media? Are you helping out your friends and family because that's what you do in your culture, or just because it's right?

What's your view? Share with us.

(The image shows the UK blanketted in snow - taken by NASA's Terra satellite)

We were invited to an event showcasing the Christmas traditions of Poland and Ukrania today. This was great because it was our first official event as Experience My Culture, but it couldn't have been more emblematic of what this site is all about. 

Traditionally Polish and Ukranian people have had a fairly cool relationship with each other - like many other near neighbours across the globe, historical enmity has passed from generation to generation with many people forgetting why. In the case of these two near neighbours, more recent political events have meant at least an official thawing.

But even with official permission to be friends it takes more than a signature on a document to unpick historic hostilities that run deep.That is why today's event was so special. It was organised cooperatively between Ukaranian and Polish people and featured a choir from each culture. It reinforced the power of reconciliation that exists whereever people are prepared to come together and share.

That is what Experience My Culture is all about. 

Guests were treated to an account from each of what constituted Christmas for each of them - and again it was the similarities that made the difference. Each culture were proud of their own traditions - the more so for sharing them with others. 

I was fascinated at how the Christmas celebrations for each culture start on different days: Polish on December 24th, Ukranian on January 6th, one following the Gregorian calendar, the other following the Julian calendar of the Orthodox church.

Both cultures give presents, but on St Nicholas' Day, December 6th, and both cultures share the sense that Christmas is a family time. I was struck by the tradition of always leaving an empty place setting at the table for people who could not be, or who were no longer, there.

We've added a few photographs of the two choirs at the event, but we mustn't close without mentioning the other highlight of the day: the food. Again there was pride in the traditional baking of each country - including Honey cake made to a family recipe. I was introduced to pickled Herrings - despite my wariness they were absolutely delicious. 

Watch this space - we intend to pursue recipes for our new Experience My Culture food group!

When we had the idea of a web site where people could share experiences of their culture with each other we weren't too sure how it would work. Then we started thinking about our own cultural experiences and just between us we were suddenly enjoying a wealth of tales that weaved between things we held in common - but didn't know we did, or assumed we wouldn't - and exciting, fascinating accounts of growing up in different places, or simply the way we live our lives.

We were telling each other stories, and that is what Experience My Culture is about: a place to share our stories and the things we collect around us as we enjoy them - the music we like, the things that make us laugh - or cry - and the small things from our lives that make us who we are.

Already we've seen blogs about Christmas - but this ranges from tradition we might have heard of, to tradition we've built up in our workplaces.

Sometimes we take for granted many of the freedoms we have in the UK, and it sometimes makes us suspicious of people who come here to escape bad things in other parts of the world - 'surely it can't be that bad, can it?...'

We heard some of the tales from people who escaped horrific conditions across the world recently and, as our parents taught us, you only have to look into the eyes to feel the depth of the truth in their stories.

The Beating Wing Orchestra is a fabulous collaboration of musicians from around the world who each fled persecution - they share that sense of escape, and they share a love of music, their stories are their own.

We've uploaded a video from The Guardian that explains a little more about The Beating Wing Orchestra, and you can see them later this month at the Exodus event at 'the Band on the Wall (check the calendar).

In the meantime share some of your own stories with us - on your blog, in pictures, or by sharing some of the things you love in videos.

It's funny how cultural festivals and traditions get mixed up isn't it? Take Christmas for example, we all know what Christmas is about, don't we? And Eid's just the end of Ramadan isn't it. And what about Divali - dancing and light?

Ask most people for a list of things they associate with Christmas and they'll probably include things like the Christmas Tree, the pudding, Holly, Misteltoe, and of course the presents.

Many Christians take exception to what they describe as the commercialisation of what they consider a predominantly religious festival, but the origins of this winter festival are far more obscure. What we consider a traditional North European Christmas actually has its origins in Scandanavia - including the giving of gifts wihich, according to authorities, were brought by Joulupukki, a goat like creature accompanied by an elf (who brought porridge - suits me, I like my oaty breakfast, but for Christmas?...)

The Christmas tree tradition apparently has its origins in the fifteenth century when St Boniface used the triangular shape as a means of demonstrating the mystery of the trinity.

So what does that rich mix of historic and religious reference mean to us today - should Christmas be a simple religious festival - whether based on pagan mythology or christianity - or should we accept that Christmas as we know it is simply a cultural tradition for cheering up an otherwise dull, damp, cold and dark season and accept all efforts to do that - christmas lights and all?

Certainly some Muslims complain at the commercialisation of the Eid festivals, should we accept that festivals develop - just like they always have - or should we try to hang on to their historical credibility?

Share with us.

Thanks to www.candlegrove.com for the holly image, go to their site for more fascinating facts about our Christmas origins.

We tweeted this news item this morning, it's from a US newspaper and heralds the introduction of a more racially diverse range of childrens toys, dolls mainly. The article supports major toy manufacturers like Mattel in giving their doll range different skin colours other than the generic plastic pink flesh tones meant to represent white people.

My experience of raising children suggests that they don't notice differences in skin colour until they are about nine or ten years old - I'd be interested to learn what the scientists have to say - by then my own two sons had stopped being interested in action figures. So for little girls playing with Barbie it is more likely to be their parents who are offended by the fact that the doll's skin colour isn't the same as theiir own. But in the case of dolls for girls there are other equally serious issues about body image to think about.

So, does that mean we should aspire to have a range of Barbies with a wider range of dress sizes too, to suit the full range of diversity of body shape, or, come to think of it, disability too.

What do you think, should we expect our toys to represent the full range of society - or are they just toys?

When it was Eid, Divali or when you are doing your Christmas Shopping, was the diversity of the toys you bought your kids in the forefront of your mind?

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment and join our poll here.