During my first few days with my new host family in Bafia, I showed my host brothers pictures of my summer before Peace Corps, and they noticed the ones of me baking cookies with my friends. So, they asked me to make cookies for them, since they’ve never had them before, and I happily obliged.

A few other health trainees – Sam, Amy, and Brittany – came over to help. It was really fun. I just followed the classic Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I’ve used a ton over the past year. My family here in Bafia has a gas-powered oven that worked pretty well. I was able to find everything I needed here, with a few adjustments (using margarine instead of butter, breaking up a chocolate bar into little pieces for the chocolate chips, replacing brown sugar with white sugar and honey.) My host family really loved them, but they also have never had cookies before But, then, I brought some cookies in to share with the other health trainees, and they really loved them and thought that someone had mailed them to me from the US. So, I think that I did something right. It was just so nice to have a reminder of home, of the joy of baking and also just the taste of delicious cookies.

But, of course, every day here is an adventure. I had to take a moto to the supermarche with my host brother Sammy to get a few ingredients. During the ride, the moto driver asked Sammy if I were French, and I responded that I was American. Then, he asked me if I was married. When I lied and told him that I was indeed married, he said that he would marry my sister instead and that he loved her. I tried to tell him that I didn’t have a sister, but he didn’t care. And he was meanwhile driving with only his right hand, since he was turned halfway to talk to me and barely looking at the road. At the same time, he also told me to take off my moto helmet since we weren’t going to possibly get in an accident. Oh, craziness. I tried to reason with him and explain how Peace Corps requires us to wear helmets or else we get kicked out, but, of course, he didn’t care. Later, Sammy told me that I just shouldn’t have talked to him, and I agree with him completely. Luckily, the moto ride back home was much quieter and less eventful.