You get into your foreign-make car, roll up the windows, switch on the AC, drive fast through the maddening traffic, in-between high-rise buildings, stop at a gas station, park your car, enjoy a pizza in one of the outlets and you start to exclaim the pace at which your country is developing. And you feel proud of being part of that development.

Then you do something stupid like visiting a museum. Ha, now that brings you back to an age where time stands still. It is when you realize the other side of India, a real one – so chaotic, unorganized, frustrating, nothing-working part of this great country.

To beat the monotony of my paren’s days, I decided to take them to B.M. Birla planetarium on Saturday. The planetarium and a near-by science and technology park occupy a huge space. The ratio of the space occupied to the usefulness is awfully low.

First we went to the science and technology museum. First of all, there was no proper lighting. And then some of the galleries had disappeared. Even in the rest of the galleries, nothing was in working condition. The very thought of how government could swindle and waste public money can irritate and spoil your otherwise quality time that you decided to have with your parents. But then that is real India!

Don’t get upset so quickly boy! Around 15h00, a shabbily dressed man and his team came on the dais in the main hall. They showed some wonderful science experiments and explained the logic behind them. If only these experiments were shown in every school, every kid will aspire to be a Kalam, the man behind India’s success in Rocket science and now heading the country.

Then there was a 3-D show. If the chairs were relatively moving with respect to what was shown on the screen, it would’ve been a fascinating show. Yet, a trip down to the shark island (the theme of the 3-D movie) was entertaining.

Finally a short documentary on Mars. My dad and I expected a more elaborate show, not a show with mundane information. However, my mom liked it. So it was a bargain.

In short, more is expected in a country where science and technology is on the fast track.