Having lived in equatorial Africa for a decade, and having spent weeks driving to cross a single given country, I always get a kick of out conversations where someone asks, "Oh, you lived in Africa--did you know So-and-so?"
But sometimes, you do know them, and it's like HOLY SHIT SMALL WORLD. I was on a subway in Paris one night with two friends. A group of (American) girls heard us speaking english, we got to talking, they found out where I went to school (Penn State, huge effin uni), and were like "do you know so and so". Turns out so and so was my roommates ex-girlfriend. Small world, eh?
As a Brit holidaying in the States, I have been asked many many times in the most serious of tones if I know Prince Charles/the spice girls/David Beckham. Quite bizarre.
I get asked that all the time. But I'm from Iceland. With only a population of 300.000 it's to be expected. Funny thing is I've actually known the person twice when asked (but it's out of hundreds of queries).
Wow. That question is annoying enough when the subject is a large university. I can't believe you were asked that.