New Montrealers: Pakistani aviation specialist loves poutine

As someone who works in aviation, it's fitting Nabil Ahmed got his first impression of Montreal from the air,as he flew in last Februaryto start work for the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO.

"I had actually never seen a frozen river in my entire life," he said. "That really scared me, because I wasn't really prepared for that."

But nearly a year later, that's not what the 27-year-old Pakistani native thinks ofwhen he lands at Trudeau airport.

"I fell in love with the city," he said. "Every time I come back from a trip anywhere, I always have a smile on my face."

"I love the skyline."

Ahmed hopes to stay on at ICAOafter his year-long contract finishes nextspring.Since arriving, he's discovered a new passion for travel, and he wants to see more of this hemisphere.

"I'll be going a bit more to South America to explore a bit of that," said Ahmed. "I'll probably take a trip to Vancouver I've heard a lot about it, and I want to see it for myself, as well."

Here are excerpts from CBCMontreal Daybreak's interview with Ahmed,edited and condensed for clarity.

What's the best part of being in Montreal?

Apart from having a lot of poutine, mostly my work is the best thing about it. It doesn't get any better than this is my field of work.

I already experienced a lot of cultures in the U.K., but now that I'm on this continent I can explore around and see different parts of Quebec.

I've been to Quebec City, I've been to Ottawa, Toronto, all these places. It opened doors to a new world for me. I think that was the most exciting part.

What's the biggest challenge?

Of course, it begins with language. If you don't really speak French, it's going to be challenging. But you get the hang of it eventually. Fortunately for me, where I was, it's notmandatory people around me speak English, so I can't really complain about that.

But apart from that, the age group I'm in, it's not very easy to make friends when you move into a new city. I went from having a lot of friends around me to almost having no friends around me.

What's your history?

I was born and raised in Pakistan and moved to the U.K. back in 2011. I studied there, did my undergrad in aviation managementand did my master's in sustainable aviation.... I was working, as well, at Heathrow airport, so my background is very aviation-oriented, which is how I got here in the first place.

What surprised you the most about Montreal?

The cold.

I had actually never seen a frozen river in my entire life. While I was in the plane, when it was about to touch down in Montreal, I noticed it looked a bit funny. When the airplane came down even more, I realized it was frozen. And that really scared me, because I wasn't really prepared for that.

I didn't have that many warm clothes on at the time.I wasn't layered up. In fact, I was wearing a pair of loafers with no socks in them. The passengers right next to me were concerned for my well-being, as well. That was by far one of the most shocking things I've seen.

One word about Montreal?

Beautiful.

I fell in love with the city. Every time I come back from a trip anywhere, I always have a smile on my face.

I love the skyline.I can see my work from wherever I go.

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