Days...erm 7, 8 and 9 and 10... have I left it that long???

Me hanging 

with Billie below - an unrealistic Madge to the right. See me with the Spice girls, the Beatles

Yes, well! Sunday was frought with tiredness and a smidgen of a hangover... garrr....

The video above is for Dad - I nearly bought this for you but A) it was too rude and B) too expensive. Thoroughly amusing though.

After night of mad dancing and pizza, Tim and I went for breakfast at 9am with Liz and Rick who own the place Tim's staying in. They are a hilarious couple - Liz is very cool, running a Vintage shop in East Village and after talking for sometime we figured out she almost sold Mum a house in Auckland a few years ago (you bid but there was a much bigger offer???) And Rick owned Rick's place: American Style Restaurant in Auckland for many years. We had mega-action American breakfast in Brooklyn (drove over the Manhatten Bridge alas) and that was pretty much all I ate for the rest of the day. Was completely seedy. At about 5pm I stumbled out, rejuvenated, to my Black Nexxus class. The Ex-er actor. This class was $50 and 'runs from 6-10pm' ahh cancel that try finish time 1am. I certainly got my moneys worth! The class was very method -not really the training I'm used to. Drawing on memories and experiences. This was very fullon for some in the class (at least half the class are working professionally) The first section was voice and movement. A circle was formed and music played. People then were called in individually by the tutor Christian. They had to do whatever their body and voice wanted within the 2-3 songs that were played for them. We on the outside had to mimic but also really try and capture what was going on for the person in the centre. Sounds like complete tosh but reeeealllly good exercise and linked in to my interest in Verbatim and how you can capture someone else. Very compelling in a lot of ways. I did however feel that every African American guy getting an angry rap song was a little stereotypical... and it pissed off these guys too - they would come in ready to work and a couple of them just said 'What is this shit' and got on with it, but it really affected what they did. My song was 'Candyman' by Christina Aguilera which made me laugh. I went full blown gusto to the max, I was sweating a stream by the time I finished. See, I was the, erm, least fit lady there so I was like, I am going to bring it! Actually did a kinda backwards roll flip which got me a cheer. Booyah! The 2nd part was the sensememory stuff. I invested but felt that the exercises were unclear in parts. See yourself on the 1st date with someone. See yourself at 3-4 years old. what did you like about yourself? What do you like about yourself now? And on it went. There were 3 layers in total and we had to implement them into a short monologue. And learn the monologue!!

This was a very gratifying experience for me. I willed myself to enjoy myself and it was worth it. Because, I had a strange fear that all my ideals about having talent and the potential to make an international career would fly out the window as soon as I did an acting class in New York. But, erm, quite the opposite. The feedback was extremely positive. Christian said I was one of the few people who 'saw' myself in the mirror and that I was committed and let myself 'go there' emotionally. Can endeavor to work more on moment to moment as there was a bit at the end that wasn't quite gelling. Very pleased. It was a big thing for me as no one knows me and knows my background, so a little affirmation.

So the next day, I got up late and decided to go to NYC Madame Tussauds which was hilarious! I don't know what possessed me, it was ridiculous! All the figures were so plastic (yeah I know duh Kate) but check out Madonna - it doesnt even look remotely like her!! Most realistic was Robin Williams.... I was a tad disappointed there was no ginger spice in the spice girls. Very sad indeed. I went home and had dinner with Shosh and Hamish at a romantic little restaurant... Was I the third wheel??? 

I could not sleep to save myself. Hot sweats. Cold sweats. The beauty of New York is supposedly air-con. However. This apartment is permanently like 27 degrees... at least. It goes up and you CANT turn it down. It will turn itself off unexpectedly and then you're freezing. Hence, I have started to get a bit ill. Bollocks.

Once again, opted for a sleep in and stumbled out into the day with the intention of doing the Guggenheim and Century 21 and see the World Trade Centre site. Instead I got lost in Times Square (where people were being complete jerks! I asked a man how much stamps to NZ were. 94cents he replies. I'm like, OK, can I have 15. He says sure, rips them off. '$22.50 please maam.' Um... waidaminute!!! That's like a $8.50 markup up - its meant to be about 14 bucks. He says ' I take a commission' Then has the nerve to shout at me when I refuse to have the stamps - what a...) 

Got home, cooked tea for the troops and headed out to EXIT THE KING adapted by Geoffrey RUsh. Starring himself, Susan Sarandon and Lauren Ambrose. What a load of tosh. It was complete self indulgance not followed through by the actors! Rush was pretty good but I got the sense he knew he was and therefore made him unappealling. Sarandon good but not quite powerful enough. Very connected actress though. Lauren Ambrose was a complete disappointment to me - a fine screen actress. Versatile. seeemingllly... On stage her voice was inaudible, there was nothing going on. Shite. I'm not even going to go into it. Was thoroughly upset by lack of excitement in this play. Went on FARRRRRR too long.

Back home, nothing doing. A couple of hours pass and my drunken flatmates arrive home and stay awake for a good couple of hours (boo!) but keep me throughly entertained with the concept of moosing which I shall not explain on this PGrated blog.

So, we come to today. I went to HB studios only to find my class has moved days. Dumdedoo. So I went to the Rock N Roll hall of fame. Which was shut. So I wombled around East Village which was super. Photos to come in separate document. 

I then got down to the World Trade Centre site which I found a little unsettling. A big hole in the ground and a real quiet eerie air despite a lot of people. Right opposite was the shopping department store Century 21 which has been recommended by so many to me. A little strange initially after the feeling of this building site all cordened off by police.

But let me tell you.... Shopping Heaven. Marc Jacobs, Versace, Prada, Ralph Lauren, DKNY all garments out of season or sewn wrong - nothing ACTUALLY wrong with them... but the prices!!! SOOOO cheap. I didn't overdo it. I desperately wanted a Calvin Klein pink silk cocktail dress for Graduation but restrained myself with 2 small purchases. A Michael Kors 60s Cocktail frock for 20 bucks anyone???!!!! I was drooling over a Marc Jacobs raincoat/dress but I left and had coffee and came home. What to do tonight?? Who knows!!