all this for a stamp

Here in Macedonia there is a lot of weight put on stamps... the stamp is what makes all things official. And so my adventure this week for the proper document to be stamped began with a call from the bank. They had forgotten to mention the need of this stamp when I was there, so they phoned me a couple hours later to tell me. This seemed like it would be a fairly easy task...but I have come to see I was deceiving myself with that thought because of a few things.
1. I had to get this stamp with another co-worker. We have very different schedules, so finding a time to go together was the first trick.
2. We succeeded in finding that time... we went to the notary only to find them closed
3. We find another time, the notary is open...we thought we were golden BUT...
4. Because we are foreigners, and they wanted to do their job correctly - and we could not prove our language skills to them, they would not let us sign the needed papers to get the needed stamp!
5. Now we must wait for a translator to write the documents.
6. The translator calls and says what do you need to documents to say. My answer is I don't know, the bank assured me the notary would know.
7. URGH! Cultural frustration hits a high point
8. New appointment set for 3:00 to get everything finished...we shall see.
I will say that I appreciate the notary wanting to do her job to the letter of the law (not always common here)... and I am assuming that this whole process needs to be done in order to lessen corruption and so on in the financial departments of the country... but I dislike that I have to get wrapped up in it. Just last year when I went through this process I had to sign 2 papers and show them my passport - that's it!!! This time I thought my co-worker was going to have to give his son(first-born) to the bank he signed so many papers.
Oh the ever changing laws!!! But will the stamp ever lose it's power??