Pleasures of life... bureaucracy...

You know that feeling. You need to go to the bathroom, but you can´t, for example because you are in a bus. Frustration, discomfort: you know you will simply have to cope with it for the time being. But then once you have finally found a place to let go of the cropped up liquids in your bladder: yessssssss! That is gigantic pleasure, satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment.
Today my car tax was due. Of course, paying tax is never pleasant, but the Portuguese system has a way of me never walking a way without a feeling similar to the one I described before. Unlike in Britain, where the tax is simply debited from your account which leaves you with a hollow sense of robbery, the Portuguese system of cashing in gives one a strange sense of achievement. So how does it work? Well, first you find out more or less by accident when the tax is due. No reminders in the mail, simply common knowledge that on the anniversary of the registration date of your car´s license plate (so not the date you purchased the car). If you are late, a fine is the consequence for your ignorance. Alas, I was lucky enough to find out on time. A good start, but only the beginning. Then you have to find out where to pay, which in my case was simple as this was the office where I had already spent plenty time waiting for other bureaucratic purposes. Frankly, this scared me a little, because my previous visits had not always been successful, and the infamous words "Não pode ser!" echoed in my mind. So it took me a few days to gather enough courage to drive down to the city center and pay Finanças a visit. Once in I got a number (push letter J to be admitted to the right queue) and the wait began............... until after just less than two hours my number -J046- was called. I had my NIF ready (Fiscal number), and proudly handed my car documentation. Whatever the clerk responded, it was not "Não pode ser!" and I got a nice document confirming my payment. Yessssssss! And I walked out of the office with this great sense of achievement that comes with sailing the system. It lasted for the day.