@bcmorr Yep, aa·si·yan pronunciation seems natural. When I first heard it mentioned from our neighbors as “ah·syan”, it took me longer to understood them. ^_^;;
I think that was why you picked-up the Philippine pronunciation, it's more natural to read it as “A-SEA-N”. Of course, not saying the other variations are wrong, it's actually cool (especially since the ASEAN itself did not provide any official pronunciation guide).
Oh. And I hope you visit the Philippines one day and be able to complete your ASEAN journey before East Timor officially achieves member status.
Speaking of Brunei, from what I've heard, almost everything there is free because their king provides what they need. If you visit there, ask them if it is true! (I have no idea if it is.) ^^