I also left Cathay as an SO in training five years ago. Have no doubt I could have passed the training program and been a thoroughly miserable S/O just now upgrading to F/O and being stuck in HK. Did I regret the decision at times? Sure I did, but now I find myself in a much better position as an F/O and instructor on the same type of aircraft, earning decent money, and able to live anywhere in the world I like - and the company buys me a ticket to and from the trips. I also found that there are a lot of us that have left, which is a good thing, because when I got on that plane back to the states, I felt like I was the only sucker who fell for their scheme and realized it wasn't worth it!