Europe trip update!

Tickets are booked!
I’m going to board Ryanair from Paris to Rome. It’s very cheap! The problem is.. They’re using Beauvais Airport which is.. Well.. Quite far from the Paris city itself. I haven’t found a good info on how to go to the BVA safely and comfortably. I only found some private airport shuttle, but they are freaking expensive! Anybody that went to France want to give me some recommendations? Thank’s =)

I think my Rome trip is kinda more planned. I have already booked Terravision bus that will take me from Ciampino Airport to the Stazione Termini in Rome. Maegan is going to pick me up from there! =D The bus only costs 6 eur. What a deal! After I research on the Internet I found out that there’s actually a public bus from CIA to Termini but it’s less frequent than Terravision’s bus and it only costs 1 eur less. Oh well.

I’m going to stay in Maegan’s room while I’m in Rome. Hope Maeg will have time to show me around =D

Next stop.. I’ve booked Transavia ticket from Rome to Rotterdam. Well yeah Rotterdam not Amsterdam. Unfortunately there are no budget airlines flying from Rome to Amsterdam. (as long as I’ve researched) The nearest one I can find is this Rome-Rotterdam route. Ryanair flies from Rome to Eindhoven, but it’s a bit too far, compared to Rotterdam.

And then at Rotterdam I’ll be shuttling to Rotterdam Centraal (ticket costs 2.70 EUR if i’m not wrong, buy from the bus driver), and then buy a ticket to Amsterdam Centraal. Well yeah I’m quite nervous about buying the tickets.. I have browsed through the official website of Netherlands transport and have been practicing using their online demo. Hope I’ll survive. Hahaha.

Well ok that’s all. Hope my trip will go fine =)

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Now playing: Imogen Heap – Hide And Seek
via FoxyTunes

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Now playing: Can’t Smile Without You – Barry Manilow
via FoxyTunes

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence for The Leap Years… Not.

Actually I’ve been meaning to post this even before I watched The Leap Years (which is so sappy I don’t want to further review it).

As many other people, I was very interested in the trailer’s background music.

I first heard it on a bus, when the trailer is playing on that super disturbing TV Mobile. My first thought “Wah Singaporean so cool ah can make a song so good!”. And the trailer is not bad. It’s good. The beautiful scenes.. So photographic. I especially like the end part. You know, when the paper plane is thrown? The piano sound is just perfect!

I then found out from Rinaz that the song is actually a song composed by a Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto titled “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence”. (In case you don’t know it, I have soft spot for Japanese composers. You know those Final Fantasy songs??? If you don’t know, never mind)

It didn’t take long for me to realize that.. They’re not the same!
You want to try? Just play the first seconds of the leap years trailer, until about 00:13 (that’s the solo piano), and then stop.
And then play this video, just the first seconds too..Approximately until about 00:13 too.

Not yet?
That one might not be too obvious.
Now, play the leap years trailer from 03:20 until approximately 03:40. That’s when the strings/violin gets the melody. Remember the melody.
Play the “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” from approximately 01:30. It’s when the violin comes in too.
Different?
Of course!

I can’t understand it. Why on earth must they rip this song? It’s not even using the song, okay. If they’re using the song and they have copyright problem, that’s more understandable. But ripping the song?

It can’t be just an “inspired” song. The structure is too similar. Piano solo at the front, followed by the melody by strings? (well okay merry christmas mr lawrence actually had the melody on the piano first before moving on to string. the leap years trailer song skipped this and changed it with some drum beats while people are talking in the trailer)
And especially this piano riff at The Leap Year’s trailer 04:10 and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence at 04:08 (heh the timestamp is even almost the same)
No, it can’t be just inspired! It’s almost exactly the same. Especially the end part. Remember the part I said, when the paper airplane was thrown? That piano tunes. Is it a coincidence that both the composers (or rather one composer and one ripper) had the same idea about the piano tunes? Nah. I don’t think so.

I just.. I can’t understand it. Did you guys listen to Corrine May’s songs in the movie? They were awesome. So soothing, calm.. Really, they were good. I’m sure Corrine is capable of composing a good, catchy song for the trailer too. So.. Why can’t they just Corrine’s songs? Why? Why must rip Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence?

And maybe they just made a song similar to Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence to avoid copyright problems? Boy did the song get my attention! And I’m sure many other people too. I swear, my reason to watch The Leap Years was the trailer’s song. Ok I’m shallow, but, I don’t know, I think when you already have a boyfriend you tend to become more rational and realize that those romantic stuff are really not the things that matter. Hahaha.

Oh by the way, as I said, the film is good. Visually. The scenes are beautifully captured. As for the story.. I say, just let it exist in fairytale land.

*still can’t understand why they rip the song instead of make a brand new song*
*sigh*

btw, here’s a bonus. The trailer of the film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. Looks quite interesting. (and of course interesting trailer background music =P)

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Now playing: Adele – Tired
via FoxyTunes