Mother may I

As my friend was driving me home last night after dinner and a drink, I gazed at all the sights of my immediate neighborhood. I live in a predominantly gay area of the city, where men openly hold hands with each other and rainbow flags hang in the windows of every other store. The Gay Pride parade marches right next to my apartment building. Nearby stores openly sell sex toys, leather, fishnet stockings and wigs for "down there." There are also trendy little shops and outdoor cafes. So the vibe is a bit yuppie, very liberal and a tad risque.

I really like my neighborhood.

Then I remembered, my mom mentioned visiting me some time. My mom, my Bible-thumping, evangelical mother, would be visiting my neighborhood. How do I pull that off? My apartment building is next to a hair salon called "Good Head" and a palm reader. The vision of men holding hands and stores with mannequins sporting black leather pasties would probably not bode well with a Christian Asian immigrant. I think her head would literally explode. I contemplated putting blinders on her. Maybe give her a brochure to distract her while we walk from the train to my apartment? No idea.

But at least she'll think the rainbow flags are pretty.