Instead of escaping the summer heat in air-conditioning indoors, Mustafa Furkan Ozgener prefers the sunshine in an experimental seed field of over 200 kinds of melons in Pingluo County, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Picking melons, weighing them, observing their growth, tasting, recording and taking pictures, the 31-year-old Turkish man runs his tests on up to 50 kinds of melons every day. "I love working in the field. Melons are favored in Turkey in the hot summers and my job here is to choose the best kinds for Turkish customers," he said.
Influenced by his father who used to do business in China, Ozgener majored in Chinese at university and therefore expected a journey to China one day. The young man visited China for the first time as an exchange student in Beijing. Two years later, Ozgener applied for a master's degree in tourism management at China's Sun Yat-sen University. Since then, he's traveled around the country to learn about the colorful Chinese culture and enjoy different dishes. "The more I learn about China, the more I want to stay here," said Ozgener. He worked as a translator in Ningxia after graduation.
The company Ozgener works for now is a scientific and technological enterprise engaged in vegetable planting, production, promotion, import and export. It has bred over 70 new varieties of seeds and exported seeds to 27 countries and regions in Asia and Africa, including the Middle East.
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Ozgener would spend two months in Hainan and another four months in Ningxia to help foreign clients select seeds. Then he would go back to Turkey. But due to the epidemic (流行病), he has stayed in Ningxia for more than a year, observing and selecting target seeds in the field every day.
"I used to do translation work only, but now I'm also responsible for all the stuff related to the seeds. It's tiring but rewarding, because I can learn a lot. I will continue to pursue my dream here," said Ozgener.
