Jack,
I can see your side of things, better to make the best of it; but to be honest, what percentage of pilots are truely happy here? Just keep asking and chatting with your fellow pilots at work like I do. I'm thinking 10-20% at the most. The reasons and stories (in dealings with the company and in dubai) I hear, never cease to amaze me.
But what choice do most of us have? What else is there to go to? I personally think of what's most important to me - my family. As long as they are happy(ish) here, why leave for now? I personally think it sucks. We work for an out of touch management that appears to be doing everything they can to line their own pockets at the expence of our happiness and lifestyle. Dubai is no bed of roses, but you can make a generally good time of it if you ignore the major failings of this city. I think, as much as some of the posters are negative, it's just them relaying the general theme of working for EK.
I'll keep this short, but could go into a long diatribe. The ****e bucket is filling up but the money one is still more important for the time being. For how much longer that balance remains in place has yet to play out. Stay tuned.
CO