Interlude

(Samira is on an airplane reading a novel in French)

WOMAN: Vous étés française?

SAMIRA: Non, je suis américaine.

WOMAN: Mais, vous parlez français.

SAMIRA: Oui. 

WOMAN (switching to accented English): But how do you know French.

SAMIRA: I studied it in school. 

WOMAN: But you are American.

SAMIRA: School in Canada.

WOMAN: Why were you in Canada.

SAMIRA: Oil.

(There is silence while Samira tries to go back to reading her book.)

WOMAN: But. 

Samira looks at her.

WOMAN: You must not be fully American. 

SAMIRA: I'm fully American. It says so on my passport.

WOMAN: But you're a little dark. So. Spanish? Italian?

SAMIRA: German actually.

WOMAN: German. Odd.

SAMIRA: Meine Familie ist von Stuttgart.

WOMAN: Ah bien.

Samira goes back to reading. Woman looks at her confused.