The Monday Q&A: Jay Rerekura on his favourite things to do and the dangers of dancing

Jay Rerekura was pleased to enjoy a sit-down lunch with friends at one of his favourite Whanganui eateries last week. Photo / Bevan Conley

Every Monday the Chronicle fires 10 questions at a Whanganui local.

This week Liz Wylie asked Nga Tai O Te Awa CAYAD co-ordinator and men's wellbeing facilitator Jay Rerekura about lockdown songs, dance moves, and how he feels about Santa Claus.

As our first level 1 Q&A respondent, can you tell us if you have done anything special to celebrate your new freedom?
To be honest, I was just a tiny bit sad. I loved that there were fewer cars on the road, more time with whānau, and things were nice and slow. If there was anything we did to celebrate it was to tautoko local businesses. It was a hard time for them, so it felt great to do the community thing and make sure our pūtea counted locally.

The prime minister did a little dance to celebrate the recovery of our last Covid -19 patient - did you do a dance of your own?
I'm well-known as a professional break dancer, so I broke my toe kicking a chair and broke the seams on my shorts because you know 'Covid-weight'.

Now that we're allowed visitors from out of town again, where would you take your weekend guests to introduce them to the best that Whanganui has to offer?
I would definitely take them upriver for a drive, maybe have a picnic at Pipiriki, catch a ride with one of the local jet boat tour operators to the Bridge to Nowhere and finish off with dinner at one of the many local establishments that provide good kai (probably Georges 'cause they have kina and raw fish).

What is your favourite song right now?
I like Troubled by world-famous band IGYB. Mainly because one of the guys in there is sexy as hell.

Did you write any songs during the Covid lockdown?
You know what, I started to write a bunch of waiata but I never got to complete them.

As a parent and a youth support worker, what are your impressions of how well rangatahi in our region have coped during recent weeks?
I know there were a number of hardships for many young people at such a strange time. I also got to link up with young people who were doing well. One of the things that stuck with me was stories of young people at work being abused by impatient and entitled shoppers at supermarkets and/or fast food places when they opened - we're better than that Whanganui, be kind.

How about Bromigoes? I imagine that tāne hauora, men's wellbeing, has also been important during recent weeks? Have you guys been busy online?
This was a very busy time for The Bromigoes. Our kaupapa is about encouraging men to talk about their stuff, whatever that may be and to answer the overarching question, 'What matters to you?'. Usually, we do this driving around in a car, but ya know, 'Rona'. So we did the Zoom thing which gave us an opportunity to talk to locals and people who don't live so local. We had guys on from the north to the south and even a Chicano brother from East LA.

Whanganui people will know that you wear a number of hats and give a lot of your time to the community. Is there a secret ambition you would like to pursue if you had the time?
Apart from a professional hat maker, if there is a space that makes me feel 'at one', it's under the water. I love diving for kina and pāua but the serenity of being underwater and the vulnerability of being powerless to Tangaroa makes me feel free. My ambition would be to show other people that space and be shown that space in different areas as a part of a therapeutic process ... and also eat kina.

When you get your next break, will you head out of town? If so, where will you go?
Well, I plan to go bush for a week upriver in a little place called Tieke. You can only access this area by boat unless you have a helicopter up your sleeves. Otherwise, in the elements by the ocean, probably by Ōpunake.

You have donned the white beard and red suit for Whanganui's Christmas Parade in recent years - how does it feel to play the role of not-so-secret Santa?
Full disclosure, I am not a fan of Christmas, at least the way it is largely celebrated. My kids probably call me the Grinch. I don't like the pressure it puts on vulnerable whānau. The pressure to buy things we can't afford, do things beyond our means and celebrate something that is arguably a commercial construct. Having said that, it made me feel good seeing the smiling faces, having the community in one spot, and being in that moment of joy was actually really cool.