Legs

I had heard that Zambian women don't cross their legs, so I tried to ask my host mother, Ba Jane (Ba is a term of respect used for both men and women), about it by crossing my legs and pointing at my bare knees. "Is this ok?" I asked.

She said no, a lady should cover up with a long skirt, but it's ok because you're still learning.

(Zambian women wrap a two-meter piece of cloth called a chitenge around their waists, no matter what they're wearing, sort of like an apron or housedress over your good clothes.)

I still don't know if I'm allowed to cross my legs, but now I grab a chitenge when I head over to Ba Jane's for dinner.