A monkey ate my shirt.

No shit. I did my laundry at the hotel in Varanasi and hung it out to dry over the railing. I went to the courtyard to enjoy a cool drink. I got up to use the facilities and saw a monkey walking on the railing torwards my clothes. I thought, "I wonder what he's going to do when he gets to my clothes?" Then I left the bathroom and my shirt was gone. I asked some people in the patio if they saw what happened to my shirt. The monkey ran off with it! I ran up the 2 flights of stairs to try and catch him, but I just scared him off. Some guys from the hotel were able to recover it after prodding the monkey with a steel pole. Unfortunately, they didn't get it back before the monkey ate most of the buttons and took two big bites out of the fabric. I wouldn't believe this story if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
In other news, I'm feeling better today than I was the last time I posted. I was thinking about the staring and how uncomfortable it makes me feel. I went to the train station last night with a bunch of people my age from France. We were sitting, waiting for a train and literally 20 to 30 people stood around us in a circle and stared at us. When I was in a group it didn't feel so invasive, although I did feel like I was in a zoo. I think maybe the staring is very intent curiosity, as opposed to being predatory??? I don't know. I think I didn't expect to be so culture shocked when I got here, especially since I've been to cities with large Indian populations (all of Malaysia, Singapore) and Nepal seems culturally similar. I think that was unreasonable. The good thing is I'm more able to recognize that culture shock is what I'm feeling now than I was at the beginning of my trip. I'm better now at giving myself breaks from the sensory overload when I need them.
Another situation that totally confused me today: I got to Delhi this morning from Varanasi on an overnight train (the train here is really great). I take a train this afternoon north to Haridwar and then take a bus to Rishikesh. I wanted to leave my bag at the station so I didn't have to carry it around with me all day. I went to wait in line and sort of attached myself to the side of the mass of people waiting to check their bags. Up till now, I've never seen an orderly queue--usually people just elbow their way in a chaotic mess till they get to the window. Someone yelled at me for not queueing! I don't understand. I really don't. When is the queue sacred and when is it not??? I have no idea.
I think part of the culture shock is you just don't understand the rules--I don't know how to act and I don't know how other people are going to act towards me.
Anyhoo, I have to say thank you to the monkey who ate my shirt, because I was forced to by some new clothes. I bought an Indian outfit that I think will be more culturally appropriate.
The ladies I was traveling with asked me how I think I've changed over the course of my trip. It seems silly, but I haven't really thought about it. I don't know. I think it will take going home to understand how I've changed.
I ran into a girl I met trekking in Nepal in the train station in Varanasi yesterday. It's a small world!
Anyways, friends, I'm trying to blog honestly about the things that happen to me and how I'm feeling. I'll be fine, but I think all this will take some getting used to. It builds character, right?