SITTING across from Mosese and Takayawa Uluicicia, listening to them share their life story, one can appraise the level of accumulated learning and knowledge the couple have.
The insightful couple who married in 1962, have shared 59 years together.
The Uluicicias, like many senior couples, have a lot of things in common and one of those is their incredible fondness of reading The Fiji Times daily.
Morning rituals of reading the newspaper is a norm for the Uluicicias, as getting their daily dose of news keeps them informed about local and the international current affairs.
The weather watch in the community service section has to be Mr Uluicicia’s best bit of the newspaper.
“I love every part of the newspaper, from news to sports but particularly I enjoy the weather watch because I get to know about the tide as I love to go to the sea at times,” he said.
“Knowing the weather too really helps. We like The Fiji Times because it’s more balanced for us.”
The couple started buying the newspaper when they moved to Suva in 1972 and have been reading it since.
Mr Uluicicia, a respectable figure within society as a result of his immense contribution to Fiji’s education system is now a retired principal, who like his wife, enjoys the comfort of their home.
Mrs Uluicicia, who owns a handicraft stall at the Handicraft Centre in Suva since 1973, is a familiar face among craft- makers and sellers, being one of the first stall owners to set up shop in the centre.
With good sense and heartwarming personalities, the Uluicicias are good conversationalists who have impeccable knowledge of family, love, faith and values.
The couple met in Fulaga, Lau when Mr Uluicicia was posted as a primary school teacher there in the early 1960s.
The couple got married when Mrs Uluicicia was 18-years-old. After living on the island for 10 years, the couple moved to Vunisea Government School in Kadavu and later to Viti Levu because of Mr Uluicicia’s busy work commitment.
Mr Uluicicia who was a head teacher from 1963 to 1971 and principal from 1972 to 1991 has taught in many prominent schools across the country.
He said often today he would randomly bump into a former student who would greet him respectfully just like when he was a teacher.
“Most times when my former students meet me, they would say ‘Bula saka’ (hello sir) and looking at how most of them have white hair like me, I would ask why they said “saka”, and they would say they were once my students,” he said with a smile.
“One of those students is the current acting Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu. Some of my former students have even retired as well –just like me.
“After being a teacher I became a divisional education officer with the Ministry of Education, looking after Lomaiviti, Lau and Kadavu.
“Here I got a chance to visit places that I once taught at and I then remembered the fond memories I had there as a teacher.”
Mrs Uluicicia said their home was a meeting point for many people, particularly relatives.
“Many of our family stayed with us while they got educated in Suva and we raised a lot of children in this home because we believed in the value of good education,” she said.
“We have seen children who were raised here become successful and start their own families.”
The Uluicicia are easygoing and have a lifetime of wisdom that they love to share with people who pay them a visit at their home in Suva.
Today the couple enjoys the simplest of things, like reading the Bible, the newspaper and welcoming visitors, particularly family members home for a quick catchup.
