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--

Early morning...

Haha! I love that I sound like an arrogant twat in my last post, and I still mean every word...:D

I'm an early bird today, but don't particularly feel like that worm.
Reason being , I came off my night shift 2 hours ago. An okay night, made some money. But I'm getting up now to go to a lingerie shoot with a designer and a photographer I've worked with before, brilliant Scottie from NZ.

Wanted to share with you this place I've been to recently; a tiny tiny pizza place in Electric Lane, Brixton. I shouldn't cause they're already swamped, but if you love your pizza I can't really keep this secret. It's too good.

The place is called Franco Manca and they make sourdough pizzas- they let the dough rise for 20 hours, making it easily digestible and DELISH! I'm usually a strict Italian thin- crust - person, but the TASTE of this crust you won't believe. Also everything they make is organic(chorizo, mozzarella, pork, anchovies...) They make their own lovely lemonade too. I wouldn't recommend the red wine though, but that's because I like mine rich and the organic wine at Franco's is a little bit too far on the blackcurrant juice side for me;)

Gotta run, should be in Russell Square in about an hour. Get a move on, Kat!

xx

Healthy tips

I have for years been deeply facinated by what people eat and why they eat it. I've always had friends ask me how I can "eat so much and be so thin". Well, here are my top tips- they aren't for a determined body builder, but for an average person who wants to stay generally fit and healthy. If you follow this, believe me, it will save you hospital/drug bills in the long run.

- Know what you eat. That means read the label, do your research. Processed foor contains large amounts of salt, additives and sugar. Where does your meat come from? How about the milk? Has your beef/chicken/lamb been humanely treated? How are your supermarket on food that arrives by air?

- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. This is by now common knowledge, but I know so many people who start eating around 3pm, and stating that they are "soo hungry" go and grab a snickers. Don't skip a healthy breakfast. Don't wait until you are ravenous and then eat a massive meal at 10pm. Keep your blood sugar levels even, and make yourself something you LIKE in the morning so you get started.

- Stop eating ready meals. There are a million fast-and - easy type cookbooks out there. You WILL make a mess in the beginning, but there is only a matter of building up a reportoire of recipies you can do. Start off simple and build on it. Always have a few ingredients at hand so you don't end up with the frozen pizza. My boyfriend started out as an instant soup man- now he is whipping up pesto pasta, shin stew pots, mexican chicken mole and the worlds best grilled cheese sandwiches ;)

- There is no white sugar in my house. Buy unrefined sugar and agave syrup, they can be used for almost all the things you use white sugar for. Only exeptions are things like marengue, and recipes with strict whipping standards.

- I only use butter in things like brownies and cookies. Olive oil and rapeseed oil are wonderful and will recuce your intake of saturated fats.

- Cheap, fatty toppings and dressings are a big no- no. Make your own mayo if you have to use it- it's actually easy. Also, a simple salad dressing is always best, to bring out the flavour of the fresh greens. A little extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon, maybe a little mustard and a pinch of chilli. Dousing it in awful mayo based dressings will kill the flavour and you're adding hundreds of calories to your meal.

- I (almost) never eat white bread or pasta, unless it's fresh and in a lovely restaurant. Make a habit of buying and making wholegrain.

- I don't drink ANY sugary drinks. None. I want my sugar to be in lovely, flavourful, rich cakes and buns I make myself. An average sugary drink will contain more sugar than if you ate a whole cake on your own! You don't need it. After a while without when you taste it again, you won't want to drink it, because you'll find your tastebuds have rediscovered how disgustingly sweet they actually are.

All that said, as you've probably realised, I do love my snacks, cakes and wine, but I always make them myself so I know how much sugar and fat is in them, no additives, and people- EXCERSISE. I also love crisps, but I swear by brands such as Kettle Chips or Red Sky- they use no additives and slow fry good quality potatoes in sunflower oil. Again- know what you eat, don't just mindlessly chuck cheap, convenient things in your shopping cart ;)


Much love

Ok, last complaint about my cold...

Seriously cold, go away. Nobody likes you.

Tomorrow I''m going to do a short film for Monica, my designer friend, for a project they're having. Here's her blog: monicasogn.wordpress.com
Be on the lookout for her when she graduates- genius design and a hard worker, sure to be a hit in the industry.

Made some amazing brownies today, you can find them here:

http://everylastcookie.blogspot.com

My boyfriend launched into an online debate with a staunch creationaist christian yesterday - a good entertaining read for the rest of us...

It is just beyond belief to me how these people spoute "evidence" on one hand, for how Jesus existed, how other gods are proven to be "mythical", and how they certainly would like fair and clear proof if they turned up in a courtroom, but when it comes to the completely proven, utterly logical and obviously accepted evolution of the species, they are deaf. As when it comes to proof that their religion is, too, man- made and based on ancient beliefs and fears of mankind.

But I used to be a Christian and I know the feeling of "I don't need proof, I just know it". It's just that when you come out of your arrogant thinking, and look objectivly, you see that the evidence is too compelling to be ignored. And you can really start to appreciate the true magic: Quantum theory, for instance, or the particles of a crystal - mind- boggling and exciting!

Check out prof. Dawkins explaining it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6tMKdpmijQ&feature=related

Paintballs and granola

Made money selling paintballs for IPG Painball today. Great deal- if you want to go paintballing with your mates, I'm the one to ask!

Also have a lingerie shoot coming up on Sunday- keep your eyes peeled for the results.

Here is a healthy, yummy granola recipe that I eat with light soy milk and that I'm also totally addicted to:

2 cups steel- cut or big rolled oats
A fistful or two of pumpking seeds(I have small fists. My good friend Rhiannon calls them porn- fists...)
50 grams of chopped nuts(I use almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts)
A pinch of sea salt
2 tbs rapeseed oil
2 tbs honey or agave syrup (a natural sweetener with low GI)
Raisins to taste
Mix well, spread onto a sheet of foil and bake on 200 degrees for 10 minutes. DO NOT LEAVE THE ROOM. It burns easily.I have burned so many, and the disappointment is just too much :P
Take out, add raisins and mix. Let cool before putting in airtight container. Keeps for about two weeks, but this recipe won't last you for that long.

Cold, comfort and house hunting...

So this cold isn't budging yet...really annoying, I want to start swimming! Anyway we went house hunting today, didn't go so well, the estate agen had forgot all about our meeting and anyway it turned out to be a filthy council estate type thing with "garden" meaning fleck of grass...we didn't get to see the inside but we really didn't need to. It could have been a palace in there for all we cared.

Went home and cut the spring grass for the first time in 2009:) Also made cinnamon buns(pic above) in a new and exciting way!! They are normally my specialty, but I bow down to this fab version, which I made some slight alterations to. And I made this by hand, kind of pleasing:)

FABULOUS FAST CINNAMON ROLLS
2 cups of unbleached flour
2 tb unrefined caster sugar
2 tb baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
50 grams butter (or margarine)
2 dl milk and natural yoghurt

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until the dough is crumbly, and add yoghurt and milk slowly. Knead onto floured surface. Shape into rectangle and add
TOPPING:
Melt a good splash (about 3 tbs) of butter with a genergous oinch of cinnamon and about 4 tbs of sugar. Stir. Spread onto dough rectangle, add more if you wish.
Bake for 15 minutes on 200 degrees.
Yuum!

Also my Cavalli pics are up: (If I can figure out how to put them in that is)

Feeling grubby...

My parents are in Spain today. They thorougly deserve it, but I'm still madly jealous. Warmth, lovely food, art...sigh. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know I can't even afford two beans and a vat of tomato juice.

Work was okay yesterday, more on the polite inquiring after drinks, less on the grabby- disgusting - drunk charade. There was a fight though, so we weren't lacking for entertainment...

Tonight I'm going to the Spotlight/Equity limelight party, without a date since my lovely boyfriend was too slow to get himself a ticket. Here he is:


I know, gorgeous isn't he? :)

Soo anyone wanna come to this party? Apparantly Ian Mckellen will be there, and there will be free drinks and a goody bag. Reason enough, even though I'm normally a bit of an anti- social creature when it comes to going out for big parties. I like them in theory, I just would so much rather be in a snug house with red wine, good food and friends.

Also, I will soon be posting my new excersise regime once I get it up and running. I need some routine now, have gone a bit lazy of late. Speaking of which, will now go and make some lunch, then off to trek through nearby woods, and then finding suitable snazzy outfit to impress for tonight.

Muchos love.

To start, I'll tell you about my work...

Hi there! This is my second attempt at a blog, because I am a div with computerized technology. I got that from my mum. Any technology should run screaming from her. She is of the perusation that if you press a button enough times, the thing (wahtever it is) will work. Love her though- here is a beautiful photo.

So, my work. So far I've done odd modelling jobs of various quality, from London Fashion Week to weird photoshoots in little apartments. (Nothing sordid, of course...)
I've also appeared in a couple of episodes on BBC Doctors.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gl8ch

Yes, you can laugh.

Surely the next step is fame and fortune as a movie actress. At least, that's my plan.
My background is theatre, however, and I love it to bits. I recently translated a play into Norwegian that I want to direct over there. Oh, didn't I mention that? I'm norwegian. But I'm also bilingual. So please, can we now get over it? Over the recent years I've become FED UP with this converation:

"Where are you from? You don't look English."
"I'm Norwegian, actually , but I've lived here for a long..."
"...but you don't SOUND norwegian, how come, how come? "
"..uhhh...I'm an actress. I shed my accent. Through years of practice. "
"Woooow, that's sooo impressive, so did you grow up here?"
"...no. That's kind of my point. I didn't. "

And so on and so forth. I'm norwegian, but I act, live and work in Britain. I have a britsh accent. You CAN detect the scandinavian when I'm tired and the language function in my brain spazzes out. Or if I speak with someone who has a heavy accent. I've given up on guessing how some people notice and some don't.

I digress- my work. Due to what we are all sick of at the moment "The recent economical climate"- acting work isn't abundant. So I have to take shitty, money- making jobs to survive. Now, I'm not a patient person when it comes to shitty jobs. If I do something creative, something I live, I can take any amount of shit, and work however late you like. But with these woefully uninteresting, but rent- saving jobs, I tend to last...not very long.

The first one I tried was at a healthy salad- fastfood- bar. The pay was abysmal and it was in my auditioning hours, so I quit.
The second was bartending in a central London bar. I like bartending, actually, but the pay was almost as bad, and I worked 8- hour shifts running like a b**** with no break and with Karaoke two nights a week. You really haven't heard karaoke until you've heard middle aged indian fellas doing their version of "Ice Ice Baby" on a Thursday night.
Third, a promotions job for a company that organizes promo campains all over the country for all kinds of brands. I still have that , but it's not regular work.
Fourth and final so far: Tequila girl in London clubs. Nightshifts. Mmmm. I live in Kent(planning on moving very soon), so it's the old night bus home every friday/saturday night.
Tequila girls walk around in skimpy dresses/outfits in nightclubs with a belt full of shotglasses, and various beverages of choice. My company does Sambuca mixers and Tequila mixers.
It pays the bills. (except for bad nights.) But the amount of crap you have to take is fenomenal.
These are exerpts of what I get on an average night:

"Can I have a free shot"? NO, you twat.
"Can I pay you with a kiss?" $&%^# NO!
"You're only talking to me because you want to sell me shots" Really, genius?
"It's my birthday, give me a free shot" Funny how it's everybody's birthday tonight!
"I don't mind if you have a boyfriend". I do!
"Marry me." I'll get right on that.
"Are those lips real?" Is your brain for real?
"you should, like, sell shots in a bikini, cause you'd sell way more."
And what an exciting and innovative opinion yours must be.

See you tonight......in my skimpy dress.