KUAN: Can you recognize that woman, Kent? KENT: I think I con, Kuan. It must be Karen Marsh, the actress. KUAN: I thought so. Who's that beside her? KENT: That must be Conrad Reeves. KUAN: Conrad Reeves, the actor? It can't be. Let me have another look. I think you're right! Isn't he her third husband? KENT: No. He must be her fourth or fifth. KUAN: Doesn't Karen Marsh look old! KENT: She does, doesn't she! I read she's twenty-nine, but she must be at least forty KUAN: I'm sure she is. KENT: She was a famous actress when I was still at school KUAN: That was a long time ago, wasn't it? KENT: Not that long ago! I'm not more than twenty-nine myself.

KUAN:Isn't there anyone at home? KATE:I'll knock again, Kuan. Everything's so quiet. I'm sure there's no one at home. KUAN:But that's impossible. Sisi and Xuexue invited us to lunch. Look through the window. KUAN:Can you see anything? KATE:Nothing at all. KUAN:Let's try the back door. KATE:Look! Everyone's in the garden. SISI:Hello, Kate. Hello, Kuan. XUEXUE:Everybody wants to have lunch in the garden. It's nice and warm out here. SISI:Come and have something to drink. KATE:Thanks, Sisi. May I have a glass of lemonade please? SISI: Lemonade? You can have some beer. There's none left. KATE: Beer! XUEXUE: Don't believe her, kate. She's only joking. Have some lemonade!

A small blue case KUAN: I left a suitcase on the train to London the other day. ATTENDANT: Can you describe it, sir? KUAN: It's a small blue case and it's got a zip. There's a label on the handle with my name and address on it. ATTENDANT: Is this case yours? KUAN: No, that's not mine. ATTENDANT: What about this one? This one's got a label. KUAN: Let me see it. ATTENDANT: What's your name and address? KUAN: Kuan, 83, Bridge Street. ATTENDANT: That's right. Kuan, 83, Bridge Street. ATTENDANT: Three pounds fifty pence, please. KUAN: Here you are. ATTENDANT: Thank you. KUAN: Hey! ATTENDANT: What's the matter? KUAN: This case doesn't belong to me! You've given me the wrong case!

KENT: Can't you come in and have tea now, Kuan? KUAN: Not yet. I must water the garden first. KENT: Do you have to water it now? KUAN: I'm afraid I must. Look at it! It's terribly dry. KENT: What a nuisance! KUAN: Last summer it was very dry, too. Don't you remember? I had to water it every day. KENT: Well, I'll have tea by myself. KENT: That was quick! Have you finished already? KUAN: Yes. Look out of the window. KENT: It's raining! That means you don't need to water the garden. KUAN : That was a pleasant surprise. It means I can have tea, instead.

ASEAN, international organization established by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in 1967 to accelerate economic growth and promote peace and security in Southeast Asia. Brunei joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. East Timor has been granted observer status and is expected to become a full member in 2025. The ASEAN region has a population of more than 700 million, covers a total area of 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square km), and had a combined gross domestic product of $3.62 trillion as of 2022. Since its establishment, ASEAN has substantially enhanced security and stability throughout Southeast Asia, while also promoting economic growth and cooperation on international issues. Yet certain regional issues remain divisive within ASEAN, such as Myanmar’s civil war, which has proved challenging for the bloc to address uniformly, and relations with China, particularly with regards to economic ties and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. ASEAN’s history ASEAN's 50th Summit ASEAN's 50th SummitDelegates from Southeast Asian nations gather at the 50th ASEAN Summit in Melbourne, March 2024. ASEAN’s origins can be traced back to earlier regional organizations such as the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), founded in 1954, and the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), established in 1961. These early efforts, however, were limited in scope and membership. In 1967 ASEAN was established by Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok. The initial aim was to encourage regional cooperation and create a collective front against the spread of communism in Asia, reflecting the geopolitical concerns of the era. Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan YewPrime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore at the Third ASEAN Summit, 1987, in Manila. The organization gained a new level of cohesion in the mid-1970s following the Vietnam War. ASEAN’s first summit meeting, held in Bali, Indonesia, in 1976, resulted in several significant agreements, including the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The end of the Cold War and increased regional development and stability saw ASEAN expand its membership, incorporating Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia by the end of the 1990s. This period also marked a shift toward deeper economic integration, exemplified by the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 1992 and the response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis with the Chiang Mai Agreement. The adoption of the ASEAN Charter in 2007 provided a legal and institutional framework defined by three core pillars: the ASEAN Economic Community, the ASEAN Political-Security Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. This structure has helped promote increased cooperation and mutual understanding, despite enormous differences in the political structures, cultural backgrounds, and development levels of member states.

KUAN: Has Joe sold his house yet? JENNY: Yes, he has. He sold it last week. KUAN: Has he moved to his new house yet? JENNY: No, not yet. He's still here. He's going to move tomorrow. KUAN: When? Tomorrow morning? JENNY: No. Tomorrow afternoon. I'll miss him. He has always been a good neighbour. LINDA: He's a very nice person. We'll all miss him. KUAN: When will the new people move into this house? JENNY: I think that they'll move in the day after tomorrow. LINDA: Will you see Joe today, Jenny? JENNY: Yes, I will. LINDA: Please give him my regards. KUAN: Poor Joe! He didn't want to leave this house. JENNY: No, he didn't want to leave, but his wife did!

KATE: Hello, Kuan. KUAN: Hi, Kate. KATE: Have you just been to the cinema? KUAN: Yes, I have. KATE: What's on? KUAN: 'Paris in the Spring' KATE: Oh, I've already seen it. I saw it on television last year. It's an old film, but it's very good. KUAN: Paris is a beautiful city. KATE: I've never been there. Have you ever been there, Kuan? KUAN: Yes, I have. I was there in April. KATE: Paris in the spring, eh? KUAN: It was spring, but the weather was awful. It rained all the time. KATE: Just like London!

JILL: Two return tickets to London, please. ATTENDANT: What time will the next train leave? JILL: At nineteen minutes past eight. ATTENDANT: Which platform? KUAN: Platform Two. Over the bridge. JILL: What time will the next train leave? At eight nineteen. KUAN: We've got plenty of time. JILL: It's only three minutes to eight. KUAN: Let's go and have a drink. There's a juice bar next door to the station. JILL: We had better go back to the station now, Kuan. PORTER: Tickets, please. JILL: We want to catch the eight nineteen to London. PORTER: You've just missed it! JILL: What! It's only eight fifteen. PORTER: I'm sorry, madam. That clock's ten minutes slow. JILL: When's the next train? PORTER: In five hours' time!

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