The official website of British actress Kimberly Freeman

I will be taking part in HB sings on the above mentioned date.

.......minus the butterfly for obvious reasons

I sometimes dream I wake up and am surrounded by beautiful organised things.

It has not happened as yet, but I want to wake up tomorrow and my place is as beautiful as these pictures.

Its my favourite day of the year- Bonfire/ Guy Fawkes night. Pretty much every single year since moving to Dundee, my sister and I have had a party complete with mulled wine (my speciality), chicken soup (my sisters speciality) and various other soups (my fav being leek and potato) and alcohol (hehehe).

Being in NYC means I miss all the fun of tonight which frankly I am a little down about. I will however survive.

So for all you American fans out there. Guy Fawkes night is a tradition dating from the gunpowder plot of 1605 where the above mentioned Catholic tried to burn down the Protestant Houses of Parliament.
Since then, we have celebrated Mr Fawkes' failure by burning an effigy of him in a fire (We really are a friendly nation!!! lol)

Hi guys.
Sorry I have not written for ages and ages (again)

I have been so busy trying to start a career in NYC that I have not really had time for the blog and I apologise.

I am still enjoying life here but find that there are so many things that are so different to the industry in the UK. Still trying to find my feet but it has only been 6 months.
It seems like such a long time ago that I was walking up the Sidlaws in Dundee with a pack of dogs following me.

I miss the dogs so so much and am filling the void by walking and training dogs in the rescue centres here.

I have had a lot of visitors recently and still have a couple more before the year is out. Its so odd to be speaking UK English in the centre of Manhattan. I feel like a tourist again. lol.

Beginning to warm to American chocolate (although still not as good as Cadbury's yum yum)

Hope all is well across the pond

Sorry I have not written for a while.
I have become obsessed with a new soap called Ikea Heights (move over Melrose Place)
Go check it out at www.ikeaheights.com

Love it

I knew I was going to say that this was too hard for me at some point and that day has arrived.

In class today, I nearly cried and told my teacher that "I cant do this". It was probably the most pathetic I have felt in a long time.

Just the thought of giving up because I was finding something too hard was easy. However the thought of giving up my life's dream and accepting defeat was not an easy pill to swallow. I spat it out.
That second of realisation (that this was my dream and I wanted this) forced me to change and I was able to overcome the obstacle I was having. I performed my scene and it worked. And I did it. I did what was asked of me. Yes, it was hard work. Yes it was difficult. Yes it took something out of me I never knew I had. But I did it.

On the subway home, I was so mad at myself. So mad that even for a second I thought of giving up just because I found something hard and felt I could not deliver what was wanted of me.

I can do this. I will do this. I have wanted this for my entire life. I have sacrificed so much to be here and this is my dream......... I CAN DO THIS!

So I have been pretty ill for the last week which is annoying. Thankfully the weather has been horrible so I have not missed much sunshine.

I have been diagnosed with flu and mild pneumonia so the inhaler has had to come out of my medical bag and I am on antibiotics.

Not swine flu thankfully (although that would be uber glamorous!!! lol).

I wish I could say that I was using this time constructively and studying loads of plays and characters but alas, all I am doing is sleeping and watching Chaos (the kitten) play with his toys.

I hope to have more to report once my health has improved.

Kim

I know the point of this is to keep you all updated with what I am doing and I know I am terrible at that. My excuse is that......everyting is so new and exciting still, I am almost always overwhelmed by my surroundings.

School is amazing. It is so nice to finally be doing what I have wanted to do forever.
I feel myself growing as an actress and developing my technique and core understanding or who I am, what my situations are, why I am doing what I want to be doing.

Some things I am learning at the school seem so obvious (Uta Hagan- Six Steps), I cant believe I even considered them before.
I have always acted what I feel a character would do in a situation, but my development, understanding and technique has never been there so even though I may revisit a familiar character....I approach her in such a different way that it shocks me.

I didn't realise how much I had to learn and I am absolutely loving it. I have never been so open to learning anything (ask my father!!) and it thrills me.
I am absorbing Stanislavski, Hagan, Chekhov (Michael) like they are copies of Glamour magazine.

The scene study classes I take are incredibly difficult (and I choose to do three of them....idiot me!!!).
Shakespeare is amazing. I have found a new love for the Bard and language that was once a torture I seem to be enjoying.
For Chekhov class I am working on 3 sisters. A play I had never previously read so was approaching with caution. My teacher has shown me how to not just trust the language but have fun with a character. Having a director teach is so different to being taught by an actor. They can see things I cant, and its good practise for me to learn to work for someone else's vision instead of forming my own ideas about a text.
The third scene study class I am taking is not focused on a particular playwright. I am currently working on the Vagina Monologues which is like nothing I have ever done before. The help and guidance I receive in this class is so encouraging and makes me want to work harder.

Right guys. I hope that was enough of an update.

I promise to write soon

Kimberly

The weather here is crazy. One minute it is 90 degrees, and the next minute it is raining none stop!!!
Finally I have got my air conditioner and it really is a godsend. I am pretty obsessed with it and its 2 remote controls. I think I am going to have alot of fun when the weather turns to Mercury like temperatures.

I have had my first NYC accident. I was expecting an ER ward with hot Dr's and beautiful nurses tending to my every need (very much like in the films)......I was wrong.
There was blood on the walls (actual blood) and I was too scared to relax once the morphine was administered as all the homeless people kept on stealing things. It was a very different attitude to back home where the priority is to get you out of pain. Here, the priority is......I dont know actually. It was only 15 minutes before I left that they actually gave me a drug that worked. It may have all been my fault though as I have such a high drug tolerence, but nothing was working until the morphine arrived. 5 hours after first being admitted, 7 xrays and some medication, I was allowed out with some crutches. City Hospitals are very scary places and I have vowed to be more careful in order to try and avoid the experience. Anyone know where I can buy human sized bubble wrap?

My other obsession (apart from the a/c) is bagels. They are everywhere. And it is getting harder and harder to resist the temptation of this beautiful, boiled, Jewish bread.
I have decided that I prefer plain bagels, untoasted, wth just a schmere of cream cheese (too much destroys the flavour of the bread). Love it, love it, love it.

Think I may just do an entire blog on the foods I have tried here....hmmmmmm

So far it has been brilliant. Have met so many people and done do many amazing things that I am pretty tired all the time. I really need to start drinking caffeine.lol

So far....
Had loads of bagels and schmere
Tried a knish with mustard- love it
Popcorn with peanuts in. hahaha. so so good
Threading- the most painful experience of my life
Discovered that blu-tack does not exhist in this country
Cant stop staring at the Empire State from my window
Nearly adopted a dog- I just sadly cant afford it at the minute
Ordered caribbean food via the internet on Easter Sunday
Seen alot of people who have been on tv (Gossip Girl and an Olsen twin)
Smiled alot
Spent a lesson looking at the snow falling
Met some amazing people
Met alot of crazy people
Sat on the roof garden whilst Skyping people
Met the most handsome and well groomed men coming out the "famous" gay gym opposite
Wondered what the hell is in vegi-tuna??? what could it be?
Been offered a "happy ending" massage- I declined lol
Can imagine myself staying here for a very long time

So I am pretty much unpacked in my studio box and looking out the window at my view of the Empire State Building.
I really like it here so far. The city really does not sleep and most shops dont close till at least 10pm, some are open 24/7!!!!

School is going really well. Its all very exhausting as I have not acted for a couple years but I am loving it.

I am currently taking classes in Chekhov, Shakespeare, Speech, Dialect, Alexander Technique, Scene Study and Technique (focusing on Uta Hagen and the 6 steps of acting)


New York is very very expensive and it shocks me how people put up with the very small apartments. I guess the pace of the city makes up for it.

I do miss the green countryside back in Dundee, but I also like the fact that I can get furniture and shopping from Walmart delivered to my apartment within an hour of paying (not the usual 6 to 8 weeks you expect from some stores back home!!)

Will try and take some pictures this weekend of my studio box and the amazing view from my roof garden.

Think I am going to do that typically NYC thing and grab a bagel and kwaffee (coffee to us Brits) and take my laundry to the laundromat.

I love it here

Man, yesterday was a hard day.
I went into town and managed to get lost at least 8 times. I still do not understand the grid system of NYC and the West Village is so confusing because it is only road names with no numbers.
Yesterday, I went to sample a couple classes at school, then went and saw a couple flats in the Chelsea area. From there, I tried to get to the West Village and ended up walking all the way to Ground Zero (over an hour in the wrong direction).
I stroked some dogs (big standard poodle who I fell in love with), went into 3 pet shops (trying to get Riley a good pressie) and drank a Cosmo to settle my nerves and stop the throbbing in my feet.
Have not been mugged yet which is a bonus.
Am really starting to enjoy the crowds a little bit.
It so different to Dundee and I have joined a walking group to try and get a little nature into my life (they also do out of state walks up hills and in the woods). I just need to find a dog to take with me :)
The area that I hope to move to Chelsea/ West Village is very very dog friendly- you can take the dogs into the shops and everything (little bit like Paris).
So hopefully there is a chance I can bring Riley over :)

The studios I have been viewing are about the size of a double bedroom with a kitchennette in the corner and a tiny tiny little bathroom. The lack of space is a shock but the entire city is like that so its something I have to get used to. I do miss all the space I had in Dundee- think I was very spoilt with such a great house to live in!

Will keep you posted as soon as I have my own place :)

Am slightly scared now.
Have been practising my american accent (apologies for all those that had to tolerate it at my leaving do last night), and have dollars in my wallet.

Its suddenly hit me how many people I am going to miss (Riley the most obviously) and its going to be a real culture shock moving to a city without a dog or a friendly face but I think it will be worth it. Not many people can say they have lived and studied in NYC

One suitcase is packed, one more to go.

I am going to miss you Scots so much. Dundee is really my new home. I love it here

Well the good news is that I have my VISA. Woo Hoo.
After the trauma of the US Embassy in London, I am pleased to announce that the following text message "Your US Visa, number .......... is set for delivery between the hours of 8am and 9pm tomorrow" means that I either my application for the CIA has been accepted, or, my passport is being returned to me with the added bonus of stars and stripes approval.

Only 2 weeks to go