Lindsay 1, Gisele 0

There's a funny story in my wife's family about the time her sister Lindsay travelled to Africa with her grandmother. Lindsay was about 17 years old at the time and was apparently quite desired by the native Africans who they encountered in the Serengetti. It was presumably the whole blue eyes, blond hair thing. One tribesman became so enamored with her that he offered twelve head of cattle to the grandmother in exchange for Lindsay. And while Lindsay always did say she wanted a big family, I don't think this is what she had in mind. Fortunately, the grandmother declined the generous offer and the two continued on there way, albeit with a funny story to tell.

If Lindsay wasn't flattered by the offer, she should be.

"To be honest, all I was thinking about when I was with this woman was my cattle and goats," he said of his brief encounter with celebrity.

That's a quote from Keseme Ole Parsapaet, a Maasai tribesman who recently did a photo shoot with supermodel Gisele Bundchen. The photos were for Project Red, another Bono-inspired effort to raise money for fighting AIDS in Africa. The photos show the lengthy Maasai standing stout with full native dress while the much skimpier-cloaked Gisele leans into him. He was paid $5,000 for the photo shoot which is equivalent to five years salary for most Kenyans. Yet, despite the money and the trip to London, and the fact that he had one of the world's top supermodels -- a particularly gorgeous woman by first-world standards -- draped sexily against him, he was thinking of his cows.

One look at Lindsay and a tribesman was ready to give up his cows for her. But silly Keseme has Gisele in his arms and he was homesick for cattle. Score one for Lindsay!

Read the rest of the article at the Seattle Times here.