www.mikenyffeler.com

Hello everyone throughout the world…to all my loving, adoring, admiring fans everywhere. You are all in my mind and on my heart every waking moment and when Im on the toilet. Let the distance between us never be so far as to forget what has been, what will be, and what is to come….whatever that means. That being said, I have been trying to get reconnected with a number of you for the past few weeks and have had little luck. If you see a Unknown or Unavailable caller, it is most likely me…so ANSWER it! Thanks

For those of you who do screen your calls I’ll give you a short update. For the past 5 or so weeks I have been working pretty hard core and saving money. Firstly, thanks to Kelsi, I have been working at a local cafe called Eva Dixon’s 4-5 shifts a week as server and kitchen hand. Eva’s has a groovy, laid back atmosphere that makes great coffee (they’re drugging me into liking it i swear!) It has to to compete with the army of cafes in Welly which has more per-capita then New York! My second occupation, washing windows for Addie’s Cleaners, has also been a great experience. I get to travel all over the city and suburbs squeegee’ín along the way and keeping window shoppers happy. NO I do not hang from scaffolding on top of skyscrapers…that would for sure be the death of me and most likely a lawsuit! But I do get to use a thirty foot pole that has a brush squirting water all over passers by and myself below. All in all Im happily working 40-60 hrs. a week! Plus adding on the Temp Center once in a while, whenever they come calling. Today I bought a ferry ticket to the South Island and another new journey to a new place. Im pretty sad to be leaving Wellington because I think this is the BEST city in NZ and a must see to anyone visiting. If you ever are so lucky, let me know and Ill give you a list a few pages long of what you need to see. As for now, I am getting ready to move -packing the things I still want to keep moving and trying to sell the things I am tired of moving. I had aspirations of buying a ski pass for the season but quickly had second thoughts when I learned they can run up to $1,200! That hurts anyone’s bank statement…but priorities are priorities and I may have to go without eating for a few months…
Any word on the nutritional value of snow??

Conquerin’ the Naki

March is a month for many things….the migratory birds who have spent the cold winter months in the warmer regions of the world, start to make their way back to their summer homes….my MOTHER’S birthday, which IS on the 24th, and which I was a terrible son and forgot to call her, but soon realized what date it was a week later and promptly called just to say I love her . March is also NCAA basketball madness, where teams battle it out at the end of the season to see who will come out on top….and that brings me to a different madness that the month of March is known for…. March Mustache Madness! Yes all you furry face males and females, its time to grow it and flaunt it! No matter what hemisphere you may be living in, you still will succumb to the madness. So this is for all my boys back home who represented this year!

The life of a temp here in Wellington always finds something different and new every week. Last week you may have been called to chase down a naked drunk guy in your only nice pair of black slacks, this week you are called to hob-knob with some of the wealthiest people in NZ (by hob-knob of course I mean “serve drinks to”) and next week you will “become” a pastry chef and create master works of sugar, flower, and icing. It’s an easy life when your “boss” at the agency calls you and asks you when and where you would like to work. This life could only be possessed by a backpacker. The easy in, easy out, then see ya later way of working has been about as common for me as eating peanut butter sandwiches on stale bread, and that only occurs on the days that I dont work catering (because then I’ll get well fed) But some weeks are not as comfy. Work is very inconsistent and sometimes will go days without hearing anything. Having that inconsistency teaches me to invest my money wisely and to really think about what is worth spending it on. Gone are the days of vanity and useless consumption, which I dont think I will miss any time soon but can bemore of a comfortortable lifestyle. Everyone wants to be comfortable and not worry about their next meal but if you had to choose between eating lunch and a pair of sunnies what would you do? All in all, I am learning that “he who would travel happily must travel light.” The more you have, the more you have to worry about.

I now own the cheapest, oldest, and the most uncool phone in Wellington…but it works! Now if you feel the need to talk to me about what to do with that nagging coupled partial differential equation you’ve mulling over, just give me a buzz or txt. I get free incoming international calls so you will be the only person charged :^I …but i think txts might be free for you (but you may want to check on that one) Just under the Contact link.
No real news since the last update. Im working pretty regularly now for the temp center and tonight Im bar tending the big UB40 show sweet as They said I may even get to even watch some of it! Yay! Im gonna sing my heart out on Red Red Wine. ~”red red wine you make me feel so fine, you keep me rockin all of da time”~

Well well how is life for everyone? Mine has been pretty up and down for the past month and a half. Sorry to everyone for not keeping in touch (but Im not very good at that anyway…as you probably already know by now) So here is a little update on what my life consists of right at this moment. A few weeks ago I hooked up with a temping agency which specializes in the hosting/serving industry. Since then I have only been able to work only one job since I was still getting situated in my flat and such. But the job I did manage to get was the annual International Sevens Tournament in Wellington’s Westpac Stadium. Sevens is a very quick style of rugby which uses only seven players (instead of the regular 15) playing in two 7 min. quarters (instead of 40) and it reminded me of a weird mix of ultimate frizbee, soccer, and really big guys destroying each other. I was on the pitch security team directly on the field so basically I stood there looking at the crowd for anyone who feels the need the hurl a beer bottle or the urge to hop the barrier and run onto the field (streakers and all) Unfortunately there was none of the such because Kiwi crowds are extremely well behaved, even though they consume more alcohol than I think I have ever even seen in my lifetime. Everyone dresses up in every costume you could imagine and has a good time which didn’t give me much to chase after but it did give me something interesting to look at while standing for 21 hrs. in two days. After the successful weekend, I am now getting more and more jobs through the agency. I am now working at a banquet in the Te Papa this weekend and for the Wellington Opera House catering/serving all of next week. It should be an interesting time and I will get to meet some new people as well (all from the hob-knob artsy, fancy types as well as the lowly, poor travelers like myself). I am now without a mode of personal transportation as Sarah now has the car and the luxury of moving herself to where she pleases with ease. I am now reduced to the Stagecoach bus transit, a bike, long board, train, or my feet (which I have found out wont get me very far). My world has now shrunk to the size of my neighborhood and the amount I am willing to pay for a bus pass. Im taking it as a good thing because it will reduce the amount of stress (all that it takes to take care of a car…and yes I AM stressed sometimes) as well as some distractions, i.e. an easy way to go spend money and the fact that I can go anywhere at anytime. It forces me to be content where I am and to perhaps crack open a book and expand my mind and perhaps connect with some new ideas. So hopefully by the next update you will be impressed my grasp of the English language by the expansion of my mind through reading, YEAH! Take care and thanks for all the comments. Keep them coming! Farewell I miss you all.

TONSA NEW PICTS click me

Hello everyone! Its been awhile since I have written on this and a lot has happend since. After New Years I came back to Wellington to move my things into my new flat and start in on the hunt for a job (so only 2 of the things mentioned in the above title are true…I dont accually have a job, yet). The move in was really easy considering I had already been aquainted with my three other flatmates over Christmas. My friend Kelsi from New Hampshire, who is also in the BUNAC program and also a flatmate, knows a lot about the city and generally it’s just the two of us that go out and do the exploring. From running up paved mountains to catch the view to witnessing cross-dressing concerts in the park… we’ve done it all, or are at least in the process of doing so… Wellington is a really great city with a creative scene that spans from fine art galleries to BMX comps to the best in NZ music. There is something going on all the time which is good for someone who has a short attention span. As for now I am scanning the newspapers and then internet for possible jobs and hopefully will get something close to where all the action is downtown.
This weekend Wellington held a free two day event sponsored by Vodafone (mobile phones) called the X-Air featuring some of the best BMX, skate, motox, bands, and street b-ball from all over NZ and Australia. They estimated over 140,000 people lined the streets on Saturday and Sunday, making it the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere. My highlight was the motox best trick between two highrise buildings right in downtown. The backflips where everywhere and luckely I brought the camera (...vid coming soon) But check out the newest video in my growing collection, and as for now you will just have to wait for the “cross-dressers in the park” footage.

PLAY VIDEO

I put up new pictures from new years, Christmas and all the bumps (on the car) and bruises (on our feet) along the way. Make sure you keep up because there will be more on the way.

PICTURES

After four days of praying to the cloud and wind gods to stay away, it just wasn’t going to happen. Lake Taupo may be the cheapest place to sky dive in the world but it may also be the hardest to get a clear day. For four days we tried to get booked and for four days we where rejected. We did however get to throw ourselves off the lakeside cliffs (check out the pictures!), so at least we got a rush. Skydiving on New Years, no matter how cool it sounded, just wasn’t going to happen but we will try our luck again within the next month when summer is in full swing. Bobby has sadly left us to pursue his travels into the South Island. Good luck with everything! It was fun to have you hang with us for a while. Hopefully we can meet up again in the most beautiful city in all of nz and enjoy another “hoppy” beer that will make us “happy”.

Hello everyone! I hope your Christmas was as magical as it could be and you opened your presents with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm as if you were 5 again. I on the other hand, did not receive any presents but my Christmas was still one to remember. Sarah, Bobby, Kelsi, Nick (Kelsi’s flatmate) and I made a very nice chicken dinner with all the fix’ins and a nice Riesling to cool the pallet, we ventured out to the midnight service. We ended up at a catholic church some where down town and even thought none of us are catholic it was the only one open for business. Even though it was a full house (standing room only) they still managed to find all of us seats together…right in front behind the priests! Everyone seemed to be staring at us as we tried to sing in latin…and tried to stay awake. And only an hour and a half later it was all over. The next day was Boxing Day! Pull out your grills, back up the chilly bins, and dont forget the cricket stick, its time to head to the beach! Kelsi invited us to her work party and so we got to celebrate like the locals. After a bit grilled lamb, touch rugby (still dont know whats goin on) and a bit more of the Tui (nz brewed brew) we resided to the beach for a snooze. What a rough day.

I finally felt a bit grounded as we pulled into Wellington two nights ago. Wellington is the southern most city in the northern island and is also the capitol of nz. There is a lot of history in this city as well as the second largest in population next to Auckland. Sarah, Bobby and I are staying with our friend Kelsi who is from the states and in BUNAC as well. Her flat mates are all very chill and are willing to show us the stuff you cant find in the tour books. The flat is a long two blocks from the beach so getting some sun on Christmas wont be a problem (unless of course the sun doesnt feel like celebrating with us) Yesterday was our first full experience of Wellington so we decided to go the the national museum. Te Papa (Maori for Our Country) is huge with four floors of three to four different exhibits on each floor. It would take a considerable amount of time to see all of it since we spent a good three hours and I only got through two exhibits.
I am excited to spend Christmas in this city but I do miss my family and would love to spend this time with them. It wont be the same holiday without my family (but there are so many OTHER holidays ~right guys!?) As for us, I think we will go out to a fine dinner at Kelsi’s restaurant where she waits then perhaps to treat ourselves to another nz tradition -go see King Kong. So this Christmas will be pretty low key and thats just how I like it and save the grand extravaganza for New Years!
I just want to thank everyone who has kept in touch with me and I really am thankful you even though I am so bad at keeping in touch on my end. I just wish and hope someday you all will get to experience a place like this and you know I would bring you all along if I could. Have a merry Christmas and a safe New Years!!