Rosalia Fatiaki at New World supermarket, Damodar City, Suva. Photos: Anasilini Ratuva
University of South Pacific lecturer of foundation and preliminary accounting Rosalia Fatiaki juggles her time at work with her commitments as wife and mother.
She definitely does not have time on her hands so if she urgently needs anything she quickly slips to the Damodar New World supermarket.
Mrs Fatiaki would spend approximately $150 to $200 a week and prefers to shop at the Morris Hedstrom Superfresh supermarket in Tamavua, Suva.
“I normally shop on a weekly basis for general food items so that items like fruits and vegetables are kept fresh all times,” she said.
“MH Superfresh as it is closest to home and there’s always a parking space available so it is very convenient.”
Her husband is a chef and an elite athlete for Fiji. He is conscious of healthy living and physical exercise.
“Healthy living has been our practice ever since we met. I noticed the improvements in my overall wellbeing since I changed to healthy eating and engaging in physical exercise,” she said.
“My husband has helped me with my meals and diet to the extent that he has helped ‘tweak’ my meal plans.
“Rather than having three large meals in day like in the past, I would have four to five small meals during the day – blended fresh fruit juice in the morning, mid-morning would be a toasted cheese salad sandwich with coffee, lunch would a small serving of mixed rice with leftover from last night and mid-afternoon would be coffee and a cookie or fruits and for dinner would be a small serving of what my master chef prepares.
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“Apart from any regular forms of physical activity, connecting with your friends who have positive attitude or vibes can relax the mind. In these modern times people are so engrossed in their professional life. A times it causes stress and this is a number one contributor to other sicknesses.”
Her advice is to take full advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables as they are cheap and also keep an eye on the local newspapers as supermarkets normally advertise their weekend specials.
“This also helps keep your food budget at a reasonable level and avoid processed canned foods at all cost if possible as these food items are contributing to so many ailments and sickness these days. It is also a wonder why the majority of young people around the world are obese,” she said.
“Substitute snacks with healthy foods, it’s not going to add to your cost and it will keep the doctors away and also in the long run it will keep your medical bills low.”
She said her motivation comes from the experience of living in Rotuma.
“During my early formative childhood years on the island and like any young girls growing up there I’m expected to do all the household chores. One of them is to help my mother with the processing of pandanus leaves for weaving mats,” she said.
“It’s such a tedious task as I recall getting all the prickly thorns on my hands when removing the edges of the pandanus leaves. The whole process of cutting, cleaning and drying takes a few days before its ready for weaving.
“When I start to complain about doing this, my mother would layout the common Rotuman 10 Commandments on me and that is “if you do not like this type of work, then you have to study hard in school so you can get a better job than this, otherwise you will be weaving and fishing for the rest of your life in Rotuma”.
“As always I took her words of wisdom seriously and reminded myself as often as possible to study hard so as not to do what she does every day.
“This has been my motivation ever since to this day.”
Meanwhile, that motivation has taken a new life of its own with Mrs Fatiaki lecturing at a regional campus as well as traveling outside of Fiji.
She is now preparing to attend the 2018 Global Change Leaders Programme at Coady International Institute in Antigonish, Canada.
Mrs Fatiaki is representing the Graduate Women Fiji at the conference from May 9 to June 28, 2018.
