Dauphin Dude: smart move. I have been flying in china for many years, it has its interesting parts...
Have you passed the medical yet?
Anyway, you go were the job and good conditions are, good decision.
However let's not fool the thousands of wannabes here, the middle east and Asia won't hire you all, you can be sure about that.
Were I work most of the captain fail the hiring process, and we accept no F/O... In addition for the ones up to speed: the economy in India and China are slowing down right now... Hope it doesn't mean hard time ahead in Asia, but who knows...
Valmont: my thread is precisely for guys like you and your flight school mate, and not for the ones finding a way that is more an exception than the general rule. I am sorry to hear about your situation, and I hope you have no loan. Stay positive, try to get a bush job in some country, or maybe get an instructor rating to teach in an economic-booming country... But I realise that's not easy and most of the new CPL holders won't have any job.
What I can see right now it that the situation is getting worse, escpecially in the west, so tomorrow might be even more difficult, let's hope I am wrong.