Some Do's for Zambia

Small talk is very important. Visitors who greet Zambians with a handshake and a how-do-you-do are considered extremely polite.
What constitutes small talk in Zambia? Can you talk about the weather? In some African countries the weather rarely changes and is not the stock conversation filler that it is in the U.S. Can you ask about family members? What kinds of inquiries are standard and what might be offensive? How long should small talk go on? Who initiates? Who brings it to a close?

Women should avoid wearing shorts or mini-skirts, as showing one's thighs can be considered extremely provocative (I wonder how many American women consider their thighs provocative, but I digress). What is a mini skirt? Anything above the ankle? We need to know. Pictures would help. If you showed your informant a series of pictures of women dressed in different ways and got them to respond and say how each woman would likely be viewed if dressed like that, you'd probably get something really useful for us. (: What is a low cut shirt? We need specifics-go after them.
Bartering with vendors and taxi drivers is an accepted (and often expected) part of the culture.
Ok, so you DO barter. How and when? Everywhere? In an air conditioned department store? See if you can get a script for this. How does the bartering begin? What's your first line? What's a reasonable alternate offer in the local currency? Is there a preference for paying in USD?
Visitors should never refuse gifts offered by Zambians, but (and) should accept the gift with both hands. This is interesting because most of Asia has the same custom, accepting with both hands. Africa is often considered part of the Orient and you will find lots of similarities in many customs.
What if you feel the offerer cannot afford the gift? Do you simply make sure that you give them a heftier gift later? How do you discern if a gift is a bribe? Is this not a problem? If it is, how would you respond? What exactly do you say when you receive a gift (Thank you, you shouldn't have. Oh, I couldn't. . . )