Speaking of "freak"

Today I found some books that a previous volunteer left here. One of them is called "The Third Gender" and is a study on transsexuals in India. Here they are called 'eunuchs'. When I first saw it, I was pretty impressed. India is extremely conservative. I'm pretty sure homosexuality is outright illegal. So a book about gender issues, especially transsexuality, struck me as incredibly progressive. Almost Berkeley-like, even! But then I saw the first page:

WOW. Its so politically incorrect I just don't know what to say!! So it might be a step in the right direction that social scientists in India are starting to sympathize with the condition of eunuchs. But...wow. "Prevention of the birth of such unfortunate freaks of nature"??! To the eunuchs and how we can stop them from being born?! Progressive is not the word that comes to mind. And the book's forward was pretty much the most self-aggrandizing, pompous garbage an author has ever written. Seriously, he said he was pleased that he would always be the first and foremost thinker about eunuchs. Um...I'm 3/4 through the book and not impressed with his methodology nor his conclusions. But then again, he is a man and India has made me into something of a man-hater. You probably would, too, if you had them staring and snickering at you all day long!

That's all I've got...except this fact: India has over 1,500 different varieties of mangoes. And its mango season. Yaay! Below is the mango man delivering to our house today: