Brad Pitt?

So there I was, struggling through a set of “dips” at Sydney Gym late one evening. I notice a Korean woman watching me as she passes by. A few seconds later, as I’m trying to keep from passing out from exhaustion she asks, “Where are you from.” I gather my breath enough for a one-word response. “America.” At this point I’m hoping she’s content with my response and chooses to mosey on to the treadmills, where most of the Korean women hang out. But she proceeds to ask me specifically where I’m from in the U.S., and after telling her I’m from the great state of Kansas, she informs me that she’s visited L.A. and New York. I explain to her that Kansas is quite different from the huge coastal cities, and before she walks away I hear her ask me, “You like Brad Pitt?”
“Sure, he’s alright.” I answer (thinking to myself that it’s a pretty bizarre question). “No. You are like Brad Pitt” she states emphatically. Any blood that wasn’t already pooled in my face due to my workout quickly found it’s way there as I turned beat red (I know this because there are mirrors lining the walls in Sydney Gym). I manage to say “thanks” and force myself to begin an extra set of dips in order to ensure this awkward conversation goes no further. I’m guessing the woman either forgot her glasses at home or was dizzy from her own workout, but this brief encounter reminded me once again that life here is just a little different.