ON BEING THE MOTHER OF A HUNDRED SONS

Elisabeth Bumiller's May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons, describes the situations of various Indian women, especially in regard to marriage. One character, "Meena," consented reluctantly to an arranged marriage on the condition she could have a hand in choosing her husband. They picked out a "plump doctor" who seemed to of the right social and economic background, unfortunately, he also suffered from some kind of "sexual abberation." Not sure whether he was gay, impotent or a pedophile, but whatever it was, he and "Meena" could not have a normal sex life. Obviously, "Meena" was heartbroken -- she had married a man her parents helped pick out and the marriage was a sham.

I can identify. As of today the spa where I am interning has done away with its intern program, leaving me once again holding the bag. I will still be doing volunteer work at the teaching hospital where I had originally wanted to intern and begged to, although I was told it would not be allowed. So I picked this spa which was a school-approved site and it closes programs in mid-internship. Proceedings at the teaching hospital are progressing smoothly -- had the school allowed me to intern there, I would be more than halfway through and not giving myself ulcers now.