 "Photo: Roy Enjambre Jr.")
Qasi ni vuli is the Fijian expression for teacher. Jonah Vatunigere, 27, said he hopes one day this phrase might accompany his name to children in his homeland.
Born on the main Fijian island Viti Levu, Vatunigere grew up in a town on the south side called Coral Coast. He said life there was pre-determined for most of the villagers.
“Most of the people there are either fishermen or farmers,” he said. “My parents were fishermen, so I was forced to grow up fishing as well.”
Because of the tropical nature of the Fijian Islands, most of the work and leisure activities are done outdoors. Vatunigere said because most of his time was spent outside, he cherished the time he got to spend inside, especially watching films.
“Only a few houses had televisions,” he said. “So when I got the chance, I loved to watch movies. Growing up I always wanted to become an actor or a performer.”
Performances were a big part of his childhood. Vatunigere said when he and his cousins were looking for something to do, they would go out to the hotels and resorts and entertain the tourists. He said they would dress up in their native grass or cloth skirts and perform some of their native dances.
At age 13, Vatunigere’s mother, an American who was brought to Fiji by her work in the Peace Corps, missed America and the family she had left behind. Accompanied by his brother and father, the family of four immigrated to the U.S. in 1996.
“I was excited to move here,” he said. “Back home we used to say America has got the weirdest culture in the world. There’s no need to go anywhere else, you already have every side of the spectrum represented.”
His family first settled in San Mateo, California, but Vatunigere did not stay there long.
“A few of my friends brought me down here to San Diego, and I just couldn’t help but stay,” he said. “Plus I don’t have to wear a wetsuit in the summer just like home. I like that part a lot.”
Culturally, there was an adjustment period that he described as a culture shock.
“I had to get adapted to the American lifestyle and learn how to blend in with the other kids,” he said. “In Fiji, you have the Fijians, the Indians, and the white tourists. Here you have Chinese, Mexicans, Japanese…basically everything. It’s a little bit overwhelming at first.”
Vatunigere said his diet took a hit as well.
“In Fiji, we cooked almost everything with coconut milk,” he said. “We roast our meat using an underground oven in Fiji called lovo. And we eat a lot of seafood. Almost everything in the sea is edible for us.”
Perhaps his biggest surprise was the American school system.
“School back home is what I would think a military school would be like here,” he said. “You must ask permission to speak and you must answer everything with ‘Yes sir’ or ‘No ma’am.’ I was shocked how lenient schooling is here, you can pretty much do whatever you want.”
Vatunigere’s natural talents helped him acclimate to the American lifestyle. Surfing and rugby kept him occupied, but his love for theatre and film has allowed him to expand his horizons. He has performed in two productions for SWC, a 2008 production “A Flea in Her Ear” and a 2009 production “You Can’t Take it With You,” in addition to an independent film called “Monument” which released in July of 2008.
SWC student and fellow performer Angelo Gonzales praised Vatunigere for his always light-hearted demeanor.
“He’s just a really fun person to be around,” said Gonzales. “On top of being an excellent performer, he’s really eccentric and excited all the time and is constantly making his peers laugh.”
SWC professor, and director of “A Flea in Her Ear,” Mark Pentilescu said although it took Vatunigere some time to adjust to his production he was impressed by his character and attitude.
“He was very reliable and flexible with the way I directed him,” said Pentilescu. “He has a thirst for theatre that you can’t teach. He wanted to do theatre, he wanted to be onstage and he was comfortable up there.”
Vatunigere agreed that he feels very confident performing.
“I love theatre because you get to interact with the audiences,” he said. “They react to your every word and every move. It’s pretty exciting.”
Vatunigere is currently working on a degree in English from SWC. Two semesters away from being eligible to transfer, he already has his sights set on earning his bachelor’s degree from a California State University to complete his education.
“I wanted to come to school because when I return home, I would like to have a college degree,” said Vatunigere. “Otherwise, I might end up having to fish like most of the people where I’m from, but I really don’t want to do that.”
With an English degree, his plan is to return to his homeland or to the neighboring New Zealand island to teach.
“I was raised in a Christian family and my grandma was my bible teacher,” he said. “Her teachings stuck and I think that’s why I would really like to teach, myself.”
Vatunigere said he hopes that he will one day impress an entirely new kind of audience, his students.
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