I very seldom got holidays off and none of it was ever paid. I didn't really get the time off here either - I had to go on a trip with the school. Free trips are nice but not when I have to be with kids from 5 AM till 9 PM at night.
And no, I was not stuck in that traffic Jam. I wasn't anywhere near Beijing. I am about 300 miles north of Shanghai and 550 miles south of Beijing.
I am not really happy here as the city is very small and it is VerY isolating, plus the owner is constantly complaining that she never wanted an American teacher. It is very stressful and my anxiety is through the roof. In Feb, I am hoping over to Tokyo for about 2 months.