Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Thirty-five days and counting until my mother's feet hit Chinese soil. I went back to the US to visit during the October holidays, but since my mom lives on the other side of the country and I had such a short time to go home, we decided she would come here for Chinese New Year.

I am excited, nervous and somewhat scared. We have been in constant correspondence, and I have sent her a lot of information on what to expect.

I have seen it all before: friends with parents who have blank stares on their faces, aching feet and the look of defeat. I don't want this for my mom. I want her to experience China and see how amazing it is, not be bogged down by the differences.

My friend put it best when he said when your parents come to visit you in China, it is a turning of the tables. Usually, your parents are the ones to lead and guide you, make you feel safe and provide for you. However, when your parents come to China, especially those who are not as well traveled, you are now the one they will look to for these things.

My mom had a lot of questions, and the best advice I can give anyone whose parents are coming to China is to reach inside, find and hold on to all your patience. Try to remember what those first moments were like when you came to China and channel that when answering endless and what you may think are common sense questions.

For me, I have made a habit of taking and sending a lot of pictures and videos from my everyday life. This way, she can become familiar with the surroundings. The more your mind's eye has to see, the less of a shock it will be.

In a recent chat I had with my mom, I asked her what she was worried about the most, to which she responded, "Squat toilets, not being able to communicate and an upset stomach."

Easy fixes! I reassured her that in Beijing there are more than enough Western toilets everywhere and that I could not even remember the last time I used a squat toilet. I told her to download Google Translate and that she could use it to translate words on a menu by simply hovering the phone camera over Chinese text and it would translate to English in real time. As for the upset stomach, well, that's inevitable when you travel somewhere exotic, so bring some indigestion medicine.

She also said, "After the pictures you have sent and telling me about life there, I know it's not all rural."

I have also mapped out and planned things that I think my mom would enjoy. This way you can avoid the "well what do you want to do" game.

I get a rush just thinking about bringing her to the bustling streets of Sanlitun, the curving alleyways of the hutong and the look on her face when she catches her first glimpse of the Great Wall. I cannot wait for the moment when I get to say, "Welcome to China, mom!"

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.