Left: Tens of thousands of people turned out on the morning of 30 December for yet another parade.
I used my "Chargin Falls Commercial Scimitar - Crack Foreign Correspondent" press card as an experiment to see if I could get onto the roof of a building under construction, situated in the centre of town.
Needless to say the joke card worked a treat, which only goes to reinforce all the psychological theories about the power of official looking documents even when what is written on them is raving madness.
This is a scene of the center of Ramallah looking north down Radio Boulevard, or Sharia'at al-Iqtisaad ("Broadcasting Street"). The name comes from the old Jordanian broadcasting center a mile down this road, which of course has been used for military broadcasting by the Israelis since the 1967 occupation.
It is now likely that the broadcasting centre will be used for Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) or, ironically, the "BBC" in the "P"-less Arabic dialect. The PBC bears little resemblance to the station evoked by its mispronounciation. Its TV manifestation, currently available in Gaza, serves up an embarrassing diet of programming delivered by staff clearly unencumbered by the demands of taste and professionalism.
Having said that, Arafat's constant evoking of the Singaporean model when speaking of the future of Palestine, must give one hope. Living in Singapore for 12 years during my childhood, I must conclude that if only 30 percent of Singapore's efficient systems, constant economic development, visionary urban planning, and impressive commitment to education, manages to transfer over here, the quality of life for Palestinians will improve a hundred-fold.
The sight on the streets below was incredible, with everyone dancing. Elderly people in particular had taken to the streets to dance (right).
Scout bands, a big favourite here during all the festivals ('Eid Al-Fitta, Christmas, Palestine National Day, etc.), marched along the streets with bagpipes.
Originating from Scotland, I appreciate the thought but the reality is rather blood-curdling. It seems the British stayed here among the Palestinians long enough to pass on the use of bagpipes but not long enough to show them how to use them. Ouch.
Mustafa Al-Katib, coincidently a Birzeit graduate, made a mint during this period with this obsequeous cassette, entitled "Hala Beek Ya Abu Ammar" or "Welcome to you, Abu Ammar (a nickname for Yasser Arafat)".
It was literally blasting out of every shop, taxi and house window for the two weeks around the time of the redeployment and Arafat's visit on the 30th of December.
Track titles include, of course, "Hala Beek Ya Abu Ammar", as well as "Yasser min Allah mansour" ("Yasser from God is triumphant") and "Rafrif ya 'alam min Ariha la Jenin" ("Flap you flag, from Jericho to Jenin!").
Palestinian friends offered pained, knowing smiles.