POSTCARD FROM ZAMBIA In pictures: What do you wonder about life in Europe? 8 Zambians share the questions they have about the Continent.

Skip the museums. Avoid the tour groups and the malls. Don't linger at the monuments. The best way to spend a day in a new city, or country, is to wander the streets and talk to the people who call it home.

For the past five months, I've been wandering the streets of Lusaka, Zambia — meeting people, asking questions. Talking to strangers can be nerve-wracking; not all of them have time for you. But when you settle into a conversation and you listen to what people have to say, you get two amazing gifts: a window and a mirror.

The window is a glimpse into the lives of others; personal stories that are a gateway to empathy, understanding and connection. And the mirror is a reflection of yourself, your culture and your values. It's a challenge to your self-perception.

I asked eight people I met in Zambia the same question: What are you curious to know about Europe? These are their answers.

In school, I learned about snow. But I have never seen snow. If we had snow in Katoba Village, we would perish. In most homes there is no power and no electricity. We rely on warm weather for crops. In the snow we could not survive. So my question is how do people survive in European winters? What do you wear when there is snow?

Kennedy Shakapala, 50, farmer

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My question to Europe is specifically to the African diaspora. To those of African descent who were born in Europe, I wonder what prospects they see of returning back to their countries of origin. Do they feel connected to their African roots? And to African refugees living in Europe, I wonder if they feel like their African leaders let them down and forced them to flee? And if so, how does that affect their connection to Africa?

Belinda V. Chihota, 24, HIV and hepatitis researcher

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Why are European countries so good at football? How do they develop their players?

Matthews Chisenga, 24, MTN telecommunications agent

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Here in Zambia, when people get old, we depend on our families and extended families to take care of us. But in Europe, people go to retirement or nursing homes. I wonder how that affects family ties. Are family ties weaker in Europe than they are in Zambia?

Violet Wina, 60, biblical scholar

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Zambia was a British colony. And I hear that the standard of living is very high in the U.K. But here the standard of living is not high. Why is it that way even though we were a British colony? I wonder how British people feel about that.

Thomas Mhlanga, 42, cab driver

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In Zambia, our staple food is called n’shima. You make it by boiling ground maize in water. You eat it with "relish," which can be anything — vegetables, meat or fish. Everyone in Zambia eats n'shima, whether you live in a rural village or in the city. People often eat n'shima 2-3 times per day. Are there are staples in Europe that people rely on and enjoy like we do with n’shima?

Grace Kumwenda, 26, waitress

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How do the countries in Europe manage to cooperate and work together? They must work well together because life in Europe is so peaceful and so nice. Our countries in Africa don’t cooperate that well. We are too greedy.

Bob Mbuyanda, 22, shelf packer

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I have been to hospitals around Lusaka and I know that many people are infected with HIV and AIDS. Do white people in Europe ever get infected with HIV and AIDS? We never hear about that. But in Zambia it is everywhere. Is it an African thing?

Christine Mambo, 40, sales representative

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Austin Meyer is a video- and photo-journalist currently based in Zambia working on a documentary for National Geographic on infant and maternal health. You can follow his work @austinmeyer17 on both Instagram and Facebook.

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