Look guys, it's a matter of taste, and personal circumstances. If you want a fast free widebody rating, and maybe a quick upgrade, the sandpit might suit. If you're young free and single it may be worth putting up with certain 'inconveniences' for a few years.
But, when you get a bit longer in the tooth, you become less tolerant of invasions of your personal freedoms and liberty. When you don't need an upgrade or another bloody type rating, and can pick or choose your contracts, other criteria come into play, and indeed become overriding. Money isn't everything either.
I had several other offers besides HKA, and to be honest - every one of them was inferior, based on the benchmarks I employ.
HKA may have its particular problems at present, but from what I've seen they are largely created by a local regulatory authority that is being unreasonable and quite ridiculous in its demands, and in the obstacles it is creating for this airline. I've heard nasty innuendos about the motivations and politics at work, and frankly I find it shocking if they are remotely true.
The people I meet in HKA are all trying hard to cope with a cumbersome, petty, and downright stupid system. The fact that they manage to work through it at all is testament to their perseverance.