Hope shmope

I know the system shits on everyone, it wrings out the last ounce of soul out of everyone in this fucking country who isn't prepared to cheat in one way or another. You might have guessed, I've just come from the tax department.
So, I know the system shits on everyone, but that's precious little consolation, when it's shitting on me with gusto. I don't know if it's because I lack that highly prized deep red passport, and only possess our lowly blue one and a big sign on my ID card that says FOREIGN, or if it's because the state has decided to make it impossible for everyone, but I'm furious. Furious and fed up and fucking sad.
What I actually wanted to do today, was get a self-employed tax number, so I could give invoices for things like translation and that rather lucrative 10 minute studio jobby. But no, I need to take documents to prove that I can do these things to a JP (!!!!) pay a rack of money, then take the JP's letter to the tax department and hope they give me the number. But alas the tax number, that elusive panacea to all my financial woes is only available for a limited number of professions. Journalism and studio work not possible.
So how can I invoice for those? Oh you have to start your own business... (I won't go into the damn financials of that)...
So that's where I'm at now, hanging my legs over my canoe stuck up shit crick, dreaming of the paddle I left back in Freo. Fucking hell.

We're off to Vienna in a few hours...I hope the Austrian squirrels bring my mood back.