If I sound overly optimistic it's because I've already decided I'm going anyway. Come March I will have spent a year waiting on EK to rescue me from my mundane job and disappointing existence in Hong Kong.
Backup plan: save my money, line up another job overseas and be gone by the end of March anyway. If they disappoint me, I certainly won't be moping around this town dreaming of escape any longer - it's already proven to be a failed experiment.
If there's one good thing EK has done it's give me clarity and a goal. One way or another now there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'll wrap up my contract, collect my savings and bonus and move on to some of the adventures I plan to have while I'm still young. It's a breath of fresh air.