the importance of greetings

Greetings are very important in Zambian culture. In Toronto, we’re used to just going on with our business without any interaction with strangers. In Zambia, on the other hand, it is very common for strangers to greet you along the street, especially as a Westerner. When they do, it is polite and proper to return the greeting properly with a special handshake. I definitely need to learn some basic Nyanja (the main native language in Zambia)!