Auditions and wedding

So tomorrow I'm auditioning for Emmerdale for the 3rd or 4rth time. Someone told me that means they are probably trying to find a part that suits me because they like me- let's hope that's true! I've been practicing my Northern accent for a couple of weeks and really hope it's up to scratch.

I'm also looking at wedding dresses and venues...have sort of decided on a fishtail shape gown with silk/satin undernerath and French type lace and pattern around the waist and up. Want to try some on, and then hopefully fins some fabric and get it sewn to perfection ;) Venues is hard, as we are divided not only between two countries, but also our relatives live in two different parts of Norway. We will have to drage them all somewhere no matter what, so the question is where. A boat on the Thames? Brage's beautiful mountain cabin? Some other venue in the south of Norway? Hmmm.

Anyway, popping down t'pub to be quizmaster now ;)

Social networking sites...too many!!

I can't seem to keep updating facebook, myspace, twitter and a blog. Jeez. So:
Careerwise, it's up and down. The week after Eastenders aired there was a storm of auditions, recording a brilliant pilot in Northampton, fanmail and stuff going on. Now though, nothing is happening. I want to act!! Just give me a chance. The most difficult part of this industry is sitting and waiting. I am suggesting myself all over the place as well. I seem to ALMOST get things all the time - producers or casting directors love me, but they go with someone more famous, or a bigger agency, or someone they know better. Sigh. I want it to be my turn!

In private life though, things are great - I got engaged on the 1st of September, my beautiful man got down on one knee on our 5- year anniversary and gave me a diamond ring. Weee! :D

Also, we've aquired two beautiful new family members- two ferrets named Snow and Grizzly. Snow is an albino boy of 10 weeks and already jumping, playing and chasing us all over the place, and grizzly is a 7- week old baby boy who can't quite keep up with Snow yet, but as he is a European Polecat crossbreed, he will get stronger and faster quickly. He is a beautiful chocolate polecat colour with a badger "mask" on his face.

Will be posting more about these new babies and leaving lots of pics as we go :)

Tooka a lazy holiday from blogging...

But am now officially grabbing myself by the neck.
This summer, I've done four interesting things(apart from spending lots of lovely time with my friends).
Firstly, I moved from the charming(...) little suburb of Sidcup, Kent, to Colliers Wood, Mitcham. Suffice to say that the flat, being a lot closer to the city and only for two people, is very small. Some would almost say holiday- sized. You know when you go to a two star- hotel in the medeterranian somewhere, and you get those tiny, pink tiled bathrooms with the shower that has a door you can barely open to get in, and if your above a size 14, not at all? And the hot water you have to turn on half an hour before the shower, otherwise it kind of just spits cold water at you? ...yeah.
But I like it here. I like our huge hypermarket, out lovely Virgin active gym, Merton Abbey Mills(where I may be doing some barwork) with its market on sundays. And I like sitting by the open window at night, looking at the purple-black London sky that never really gets entirly dark; listening to the neighbours fighting, cleaning, talking and watching tv...and I even think it's kind of cute that when our(or the ones underneath us) tumbler runs, the floor shakes.

Secondly, I've earnt my keep at home with my parents this summer by working as a - is there an english word for this- "home- nurse"? It means the council arranges for nurses (and untrained staff in the summer) to go home to the elderly and help them with medication, food and sometimes personal hygiene. It was a huge challenge for me, as it is not at all my type of work(although I do admire the people who do it). It is certainly work that keeps you grounded! If I am succsessful in my career, I will never(remind me!) complain about how "hard" acting is.

Thirldy, I flew in to London during my holiday to audition for one of London's biggest casting directors. It was a great experience, but unfortunately I did not get the part, after waiting a long time for the results. However, I got very high praise from both casting director and director, and firmly hope they will call me in again for something even better! :) (They already did- but I couldn't afford to fly again. Fudge!)

Lastly, I went to France, as it turned out only in the company of my mother as my stepfather fell ill shortly before our departure. He has a mild heart condition which decided to display its powers at the wrong moment. These things happen I guess.
The trip was lovely though, I got to practice my French a lot since we travelled the Midi- pyrenees- an area not renowned for its english- speaking capabilities, but rather for its beauty and local cuisine.
I must say I am proud of us for getting where we were supposed to go even with trains cancelled because of "la Greve", buses that didn't run, tourist offices that would rather have a fag outside that show the faintest interest in "but we have to get there tomorrow morning, there was supposed to be a bus!" and who certainly didn't "Parlais anglais." But for all that, we saw the lovely city of Bordeaux, charming little Mossiac with its river and fabulous Michelin- star restaurant hotel "La Pont Napoleon" with the most helpful hotel attenant I have ever met; Gaby. The breakfast was spectacular, the rooms individually designed and so charming. Lauzerte was a beautiful medeival cite on top of a hill, where I had drinks at the mayor's house beacause I hung out with Brage's troup. The show was spectacular in the open air, on the cobblestoned place in front of the church in the lavender- scented evening air, drinking local grape juice iced in a bucket. Even the church bells tolled in the right time in the play, as if the place recognised the magic of Shakespeare...it made me think of how the acts are strung together; the sun is meant to come down by the third act, these plays were of course all originally performed on open air stages. The audience did as we did in France, drink, laugh, watch from the benches or from a distance, or just listening in from the local pub...

The picture is of a magnificent monument in Bordeaux; La Girondine. It displays an ocean godess, with four sea- horses that are so life like with their glistining fishtails and bulging muscles that you think they are about to spring on you!

A big YES!

Today I reached one of my biggest goals so far - to land a british part! I've had jobs before in the UK, but have not yet played a native. I wanted to prove that it's possible with hard work as an actor, to be counted among the locals even if you come from the wrong place.

I've been told that I'd ever manage to enter drama college in the UK(check), never get an agent(check), never get a job(check) and certainly never an english part. (UP yours!) :D

People like Anna Paquin inspire me, who as a pale, dark haired New Zealander landed the part of blonde, tanned southern American Sookie in "True Blood". Well done you, and what an inspiration. The same with hollywood star Stellan Skarsgaard(swedish) and Petter Stormare(same.)

I've been down and blue laltely, wanting to move and get another job, because everything seemed to have stopped here. No jobs, no creativity. Just when I pleaded with the world, the universe, nature, whatever- to please, please, give me a chance, it happened. Coincidence it might be, but it just proves that we should be strong and not give up!

The dream- it is possible. All of those who carry one need to keep it close to heart and work as hard as you can. There are difficult times in the world right now, and that might make us unfortunate in terms of work and life. But always remember there are people who are worse off than you are...and that Gandalf in LOTR says; we don't decide the times we live in. All we decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

That was my morning pep talk, meant as much for myself as for you out there, hehe.

Luck and happiness to you all!

xxx

After a ridiculous absence...I'm back.

Good morning all. I've completely neglected posting for so long, and it's a few resons for that...I've been in Norway on a working holiday, among other things. Good to get some money to keep this showbiz- career running, haha! It was lovely, altohug strange as I haven't been there in spring season for years. It was so bare compared to the south of England, but beautiful nontheless. I did some teaching, which I enjoy a lot. Some of those kids...it's good to see that they're improving, but some of them really have trouble, and at such a young age too.

Also I got to see Wolverine - very enjoyable, but then of course everything with a half- naked Hugh Jackman is bound to be. No, I really liked it- very predictable, but well acted and a well told story. Really excellent cast!

Lately I've considered going to LA for a season. More on that to come.

Now I'm off to audition for Eastenders. Fingers crossed!

Mwah x

A hunger for creativity and change

Well, the big G20 meeting is on today, and let's hope the results are dramatic. At least now USA has "Come to listen" as mr. Obama said, so that's a vast improvement on their previous government. Did you know by the way that he has also lifted the ban on government support for Stem cell research and funding for clinics performing abortions? It makes me so incredibly happy when the world is moving forwards. We should turn our attention to healing and prolinging the life of those of us already here, instead of crying out over a "moral" dilemma concering a few cells wihich in any case is entirly up to the creators of sais cells, namely the parents. It is nobody else's business!

In other news...my translation of Martin Crimp's Attempts on her Life was authorized today, so I'm a happy bunny! Next project will be to hopefully put it on stage in Norway.

Other than that I'm planning a trip to the home country to see a rather famous actor friend of mine, who I dearly want to work with and hope we can make a collaboration happen soon. He is always busy working though, the lucky bastard :)

Out to make some money today...yesterday was a miserable cold day in Ashford were we were trying to sell paintball tickets. Hoping for better luck today.

kisses x

Lingerie shoot and...a certain debate.

The shoot turned out amazing yesterday, think the pics will be awesome.

The lingerie I was modelling is called Tushie, a very young NZ designer(19!!!) has got one of her ranges into Top Shop, so our pics will probably be featured in a few magazines- will keep y'all posted on this. The lingerie is really feminine, cute and sexy and something i'd definetly want to buy.

I was knackered after the shoot as had had no sleep, but my lovely housemates had cleaned the house and made a fabulous roast chicken. MMMM!

Certain events also reminded me of a debate I haven't been into for a little while, since the smoking ban came. Now, here is my opinion of smoking: the only place you should be allowed to smoke, EVER, is inside your own, miserable flat, by yourself or with smoker friends. I am very hot- headed when it comes to this subject. Smoking turns otherwise lovely, intelligent, reflected human beins into egosentrical bastards!

Smokers simply don't have an argument. "You're meddling with my civil rights." No, we're not. It's everyones right to be able to work or go out without being exposed to higly lethal drugs that lead to numerous dangerous diseases and ailments. It is my right to be able to go out with my friends without having to step outside because I'm choking on YOUR cigarette smoke. Consider this:
- You as the smoker are the offender. Do I piss on your desk? In your pool? Do I walk up to you and fart in your face while you eat in a pub or a restaurant? If you told me this was offensive, would you accept my argument that this is my habit and it is my right to do so?

It baffles me how people still think it's ok to just light up a cigarette without asking the ones around you. "Is it okay that I smoke?" NO, it's not! Keep your cancer- causing, eye- watering disgusting habit to yourself! I want a clean environment to work in. And before you even start saying "Should we ban cars as well then, if you want clean air all the time"- well, yes, we are already in the process of developing better, cleaner cars becuase we all want better air to breathe. But the car har been a necessity for transport for many years. Smoking is dangerous, unsocial and unnessecary.

The worst thing I see are mothers with a cigarette in one hand and their child in the other. What kind of moral is that? What kind of parent are you if you subject you child to smoke all the time?
And, smokers, please:

- NO, it doesn't helt that you are outside. That's like saying I only took my kid to outside the dangerous factory that expels deadly fumes. You shouldn't take them there at all! Tough that you're addicted- wouldn't you give that up for you child??
- No, it doesn't help smoking out the window or standing in the doorway. The whole house will stink anyway.
Also, why is it okay for my work collegues to "go and have a fag" in the middle of a shift, whereas if I said "I'll just f&** off for 10 minutes", obviously I couldn't be allowed to do that? That's again meddling with non- smokers rights as normal human beings that follow the normal rules of society.

That was my little rant. I am not "for government control" of peoples lives, the fact is that smoking is only accepted because it has been around for so long. It's like the fart argument- you would be thrown out for any other disgusting habit in a public place.

I'm now going out to get myself some mushroom soup ingredients. And maybe a chocolate. See, my addictive fix doesn't bother anyone else.

--Kat--