A Historical Dinner Party Analysis
Mohammed A. Haque
Mr. Huth
A Historical Dinner Party
It is December 31st, 1914, just a couple more hours until the New Year. The loud sound of cars and taxis honking could be heard from all over. Times Square was as vibrant as ever during this time of the year with its streets and buildings all still lined up with Christmas and winter decorations. The window displays of department stores showcased their after-Christmas sale specials. However, some stores were thinking ahead and already had Valentine’s Day displays out on their windows. Shoppers, tourists, and families crowded the streets on every block in anticipation for the glorious ball drop in Times Square. However, the real party, was just some blocks away at the Grand Time Traveler’s …show more content…
Restaurant. A restaurant specifically for great historical figures who have time traveled to either the past or the future or in fact may not have time traveled at all in order to discuss specific events of the given time period, which for this event ranges from 1880 to present day, 1914. For this dinner party six figures each from a different time period and region would meet up at the restaurant. Though each from a different region and time period, they have been equipped with a bracelet which will enable them to speak modern English so each and every member will be able to understand each other. It was almost dinner time, and the first of the six figures was just arriving. The first to arrive among was Ramesses II, the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He was dressed in traditional ancient Egyptian attire which included the traditional royal headdress known as the Nemes, the infamous false beard, and the royal apron also known as the Shendyt1 along with no shirt. As he walked into the restaurant, Ramesses II was shivering endlessly as he was unaccustomed to the cold and harsh weather of New York City at this time of year. He quickly went to the reserved table for six and sat on the seat closest to the heater. The next of the six to arrive was Qin Shi Huang, the unifier of China in 221 BC. He wore a traditional long gown with the image of a fierce black and red dragon embroidered onto it2, along with a cap known as the mianguan3. When he walked into the restaurant and spotted the shirtless guy warming himself by the heater, he knew that that was his table. He walked towards the table and sat across Ramesses II. A few minutes later arrived Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor of India. He was dressed in a royal traditional dhoti4, along with a fashionable turban. Unlike Qin Shi Huang, he sat right next to Ramesses II. A while after came Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines. He walked in wearing a warm overcoat with a traditional barong tagalog underneath and regular black pants5, and then he sat next to Qin Shi Huang. Next up to arrive was Fidel Castro, who served as both the Prime Minister and President of Cuba, however each during different time periods. He came in wearing a large black overcoat over a green military suit along with a green hat. He walked in and sat himself next to Emilio Aguinaldo. Ten minutes later, the last of the six to arrive was Mansa Musa, the tenth king of the wealthy Mali Empire. He was surprisingly dressed in the most modern clothes up to date. He had on an expensive large overcoat and underneath that a fancy black suit and black dress pants. When the other five members saw him, they all looked at him in awe as if he actually came from the future, but really he came from the past. He briskly walked in and sat himself next to his Muslim brother Shah Jahan.
Although Musa was last to arrive, he was the first to break the deep and awkward silence amongst the group by apologizing and explaining his tardiness as once he got to New York City, he found it to be very cold so he quickly went to the largest department store near him, which was Macy’s and he bought himself the best warm outfit which money could buy him. Afterwards, as he walked to the restaurant, he spotted a poor old man sitting by himself and Musa acted willingly and gave the man a few hundred dollars. Musa was then surrounded by a great pack of poor people eager for his money even though he was of African descent. Once all the poor people were gone, Musa saw that he was very late for the dinner party so he rushed to the restaurant, and here he was now. Everyone around the table listened to his story intently and patiently and in awe and they all nodded their heads in unison. As the six men quietly waited for someone to speak, they each surveyed the beautifully decorated interior of the restaurant. There were pictures of almost every single historical figure to exist up to date hung up in extravagant frames. There were even pictures of historical figures which historians were never able to get accurate pictures or drawings of, but here they were, the glorious faces and bodies of the most famous, spiritual, historical peoples known to man. In fact, they were all in color too. Each of the men sitting down gasped at the breath taking pictures, some of which had the familiar faces of their past ancestors. Despite the vast choice of words which they all could have spoken to describe how they felt, the only word which they could muster up though was, “Wow!” Some of these great men may have in fact, begun to tear up at the familiar faces of their ancestors. However, as soon as each of the men realized that they were crying in front of other men, they each quickly felt embarrassed, and as a result Castro spoke amongst the men and declared, “My fellow men, there is no shame whatsoever in showing your true emotions to other men around you. It is in this way how we will all be able to bond and become great… bros.” Puzzled, the other five men questioned what “bro” meant, to which Castro replied by saying that it meant “brothers who stick together and fight for each other no matter what.” “Bro…,” said each men to themselves quietly, “I like this word.” Musa then raised his glass of water in the air and yelled, “To my bros!” and each men followed and they all clinked their glasses together laughing heartily. This act surely began to break their awkwardness towards each other as they were all comfortable with each other now. After a few more moments of brotherly bonding, it was time to get serious so Ramesses II spoke out among the men, “My men, enough of this, I say we get down to business and begin our discussion on four of these events listed in this here ‘Events Menu.’” Each men picked up the menu and began looking over the events from the time period of which they were given, the 1880s to the present day, 1914. After some browsing, the men voted on their first event. They chose to discuss the establishment of the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) in 1903, which advocated for improved wages and working conditions in factories and workplaces for women6. Ramesses II spoke first. In a shocked tone, he spoke, “I am most certainly surprised to find that women are treated in such a way where they have to fight for their rights! They should already have those rights of which they are fighting for! The women of this country and any other country should be equal to men and should be treated just like men are. They should be treated no more differently than the men of today are. Back in Egypt, the women had just about the same rights that the men did. They were able to manage, own, or even sell their own private property which also included slaves, land, and livestock7. I for one certainly approve of this movement and I am willing to join in if I could. I demand for the women of this so called great country to have equal rights with men.” Each men nodded in approval of Ramesses II’s thoughts. “My friend,” said Musa, “I for one completely agree with you. As a Muslim I believe that women should in fact be treated better8. The working conditions which they face in factories is just plain wrong. I believe that there should be a change in how women are treated in this society’s day and age. Our women should be cherished and kept safe. The working conditions must be improved and they must obtain better wages. Oh how I wish I could help these women by improving the conditions of the factories tenfold with all my money, so they can work in better environments.” “Ah yes a fellow Muslim,” rejoices Shah Jahan, “Assalamu alaikum, my dear brother of Islam.” “Wa-alaikum assalaam, brother,” replies Musa with a smile. “I for one fully agree with you my brother, Musa,” continues Shah Jahan. “You include some very important factors. But if I may add, these women surely should not be fighting for their rights right now, because they should clearly already have them. It is such a pity that women are treated like this. Oh how times have clearly changed.” Next up to speak was Castro, who seemed to have a creepy smile on his face. “Heh heh, you guys wanna know how many women I’ve gotten with over the years?… A lot!” Shah Jahan disgusted replies, “Well have you really ever loved a woman so much that you built a large and beautifully structured building to house her grave in? I think not, so shut up and get back on task.” “You wanna fight?” replies Castro. “No,” says Shah Jahan with a serious face. “Thought so, you little punk!” says Castro despite being filled with fear. “Anyways, I agree with Ramesses II. I mean women have always been treated like this really it’s actually no surprise for me, but yeah women really need to be treated better because the way that society is god awful. Not only do they have to work in piss-poor conditions, but at the end of the day, they also have families to go back to. They have their own children to see and take care of, and their husband too. What a disaster it would be if one day a mother goes off to work and leaves her children at school, but would then never come home because of a fatal injury at the factory leaving her dead, and leaving her children motherless. Oh what a cruel country this is. I also fully support these women for going out of their way and joining the labor force despite it not being much of a socially acceptable act. They really deserve these opportunities to work so they can show that they are just as hardworking and strong as men9. “I am truly sorry to say this,” began Qin Shi Huang, “but I must disagree with each and every one of you fellows. Women clearly should not be working. Why else would there be men? Why should the women take over the jobs of the men? Do men take over the jobs of women, and take care of the children and stay at home all day? No, I don’t think so. So why should women be able to do the jobs of men? Women are not fit to have the same jobs as men. They should definitely not be working. They should stay at home and take care of the children and cook food for their family10. End of story.” “Hmmm, that is an interesting take Qin Shi Huang,” replies Aguinaldo. “I fully respect you for your thoughts, although I still think that the women should indeed have better rights, and should not be treated the way they are. They definitely need better working conditions and better wages because they too have families to take care of.” “Ah so that is what everyone thinks yes?” said Musa. “Well great! Each and every one of you did a wonderful job explaining your ideas, and they were really well thought out too! However, now it is time for even more serious business… what do you guys want for dinner? Let us take a look at our menus okay?”
With that, everyone began browsing through the tasty menu options which the restaurant had for dinner. Shah Jahan and Musa both being of Islamic faith ordered a unique and ravishing halal dinner. Ramesses II ordered a traditional Egyptian feast. Qin Shi Huang too ordered a traditional feast. However, both Aguinaldo and Castro ordered more modern and tasty dinners. “Now that everyone has decided what they are going to have for dinner, we shall discuss another event while waiting for our unique and exquisite dinners. Let us pick!” exclaimed Musa. After some deciding, the six figures decided on discussing the new era of transportation which has begun on September 1st, 1897 with the first underground public transportation in North America, known as the subway, being opened in Boston, Massachusetts11. Ramesses II was the first to speak again. “I must say this new feat of transportation is truly magnificent. Oh how I wish I had one of these back in Egypt. I surely would have been the most powerful person alive at that time. With this faster and more efficient way of transportation, it will surely be easier to travel to foreign regions and conquer them much quicker. This subway will also help travel to new lands much faster too.” “Yes,” began Qin Shi Huang, “not only will it help conquer lands much quicker, but it will also help unify countries much quicker by being able to travel to the other cities and/or towns much more rapidly. Oh how I wish these were around in my time so I could have unified China much quicker than I did. With the extra time I would have saved from unifying quicker, I could have thought of ways to better my country even more!” “Marvelous!” exclaims Musa, “this is subway looks wonderful to have. I wish to buy on immediately with my wealth. I’m sure it won’t cost much as I am, in fact, the world’s richest man. This fine mode of transportation would have also been useful for when I went on my wonderful pilgrimage with gold and resources and people so I could have gotten there much faster and easier!” “Yes subways will be very essential to everyone’s needs,” says Shah Jahan. “I agree very much with what you guys say Ramesses II and Qin Shi Huang. The subway would be very essential in conquering foreign lands, and in unifying countries together at a much more efficient rate. Also, it will become one of the best ways to transport goods and the like no doubt! People from all over the country will be able to have new and better resources with the subways bringing in all kinds of things from different parts of the country! They will surely cut travel time by more than half as well! What new places we would be able to explore!” “Yes I see where everyone is going with this,” states Aguinaldo. “The subway will very much improve transportation overall. People would be able to visit their family and friends all over the country at a much faster rate. Also not only that, but travel prices will surely be low as well so that even normal families and people can visit their loved ones possibly across the whole country for just a reasonable amount of money!” “This invention sure was revolutionary,” states Castro as he was the only one among the five other figures who has ever rode on a subway. “The subways really helped get people from one point to another much more efficiently than cars and buses ever did. The people loved the subways. They rode on them every day. People would often use them to go to work, and others used them to go to parks and schools and other places as well. It surely decreased normal travel time by car and bus by a lot. Everyone loved the subways.” claimed Castro. “So it seems that everyone agrees on the creation of the subway being a wonderful new invention, how splendid! But I know something that’s even more splendid!… Our dinner is here! Let us all chow down on our magnificent dinners before continuing further with our delightful discussion.” So as the historical figures ate away at their delicious dinners, they cracked some more jokes and bonded together even more.
“Ahhh that was quite the feast we had,” said Qin Shi Huang with a stuffed tummy. “I have never in my life tasted something as amazing as my dinner!” Everyone else with stuffed tummies nodded as best they could, and with that Qin Shi Huang let out a huge burp, to which everyone laughed at, and to show their appreciation for his burp, they all let out even louder burps. “My friends,” started Aguinaldo, “I believe it is time for us to pick our third event to discuss.” With that the friends picked up the Events Menu and began browsing for another event once again. This time the group decided to discuss the event which occurred on December 10th, 1898 which marked the end of the Spanish-American war which began on April 25, 1898. The Treaty of Paris was signed to end the war, and as a result, Spain had to reluctantly hand over their control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines Islands, Guam, and other islands to the United States1213. Rameses II began the discussion by stating, “I believe this war was necessary because in order to solve disputes and problems, we must go to war, and of course the winner will get what they want. Here we can tell that the countries which Spain had control over wanted freedom and independence so in order for them to gain that independence, they had to go to war and fight for it, or else they would never achieve their goal.” “Yes countries should indeed take initiative and fight for their freedom to get what they desire. It is their only hope in getting what they want. However, they should really learn how to be more unified. If a country is not unified, then they will surely fall out of their power and they will crumble along with their cities.” I understand what you guys are saying, however, I must intervene and say that I disagree with you. War is not always the answer,” pleads Musa. “There are plenty of other routes which you can take to achieve your goal. With war comes the deaths of hundreds or thousands or even millions. This is not a pretty sight. Countries need to find better ways to settle disputes rather than risking innocent people’s lives. The lives of mothers and their children and the elderly and brave men shouldn’t be a cost of war. War will only ever bring violence amongst the nations peoples. It just isn’t right.” “I hear you my fellow brother,” begins Shah Jahan. “Most of what you are saying, I must agree upon, however, sometimes it is better to go to war than do nothing at all and let your people die of hunger and let them be destroyed by the other nation attacking you. Sometimes when there is no other option, must you go to war. In the long run, though some lives will be lost, but once you win, it will benefit you by guaranteeing you that your people will survive and they will carry on remembering you and what you did for them, and what you did for the future of the nation,” lectured Shah Jahan. “I personally was not happy with the outcomes of the war,” exclaims Aguinaldo with deep hatred. “My people and I believed ourselves to be free, however, then everything changed when the United States attacked. The United States decided to buy my beloved country and take control of it. We were so close to our freedom but then it was all taken away. My people and I had to fight for our freedom once again. I was even captured by the Americans which ended up cutting my presidency short. It was a tough battle all of it, but now we’re just lucky to have our freedom and independence at last14," sighs Aguinaldo in relief. "My god," replies Musa in disbelief, "you my friend have clearly had it rough. May Allah grant you and your people with long lasting independence and peace. You deserve it brother." "Thank you very much Musa!" "Yes!" exclaimed Castro, "You see? Aguinaldo 's fight for freedom just proves that in order for countries to get what they want, they must obviously fight for it and strive towards their goal. You have to do what is best for your country no matter the costs at stake. You must make some sacrifices to achieve the best, and sometimes those sacrifices are drastic but you just gotta do what you gotta do." "Hmmm good, everyone had such great things to say to contribute to the discussion," said Musa with joy, "you all did great explaining your thoughts, but you wanna know what 's even more great?… DESSERT YAAAH!!!" screamed Musa. "WOOHOO!!!" they all screamed and cheered in excitement. "Let us order our desserts my friends!" rejoiced Musa. "YASSSSSS!" they all screamed again. The six historical figures who were thought to be wise old men, turned out to be little kids when it came to dessert. They all ordered the best ice cream money could buy them and if they did not have any money, Musa told them that he would "spot them." At first not knowing what ice cream was, Ramesses II, Musa, Shah Jahan, and Qin Shi Huang were going to order their traditional desserts, but then Castro and Aguinaldo informed them of the most wonderful delicacy known to man, ice cream. At first reluctant to try, the two persuaded the other four to try something new for once, and after some persuading they agreed. “Now that we have ordered our desserts, let us choose our next and last event to discuss!” exclaimed Castro.
After a while the friends chose to discuss the presentation of the physicist Max Planck to the German Physical Society about his Quantum Theory, which is basically the theoretical basis of modern physics that analyzes the nature and behavior of matter and energy on both the atomic and subatomic level15.
Quick to respond, Ramesses II awfully brain-hurt questioned, “In all my life I have never heard of such gibberish before, however, despite not knowing what this means, it sounds pretty impressive. I applaud Planck for this great discovery of his, and surely his hard work had not gone to waste with this theory of his. I believe that education can enable one to go further on in what they believe. It will help them greatly with their lives, and help them achieve great things.” said Ramesses II. “Yes education is very powerful,” begins Qin Shi Huang, “it can really help a person reach very great feats, such as this Planck person. We can see how much thought he has put into his research to come up with such a theory. With education, it can drive people to do great things. They will be able to do things no person has ever been able to do before,” says Qin Shi Huang. “Having knowledge and an education are one of the greatest things an individual can have,” states Musa. “With just a small drop of knowledge, one can achieve wondrous things in their lives. Everyone should have such an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge, it will benefit them in so many ways, in which they have never seen or heard of. This is why during my pilgrimage to Hajj, I helped pay for and build many libraries, universities, and mosques so that the people in those regions could suck in the knowledge which they would gain from the universities16. I only hope that they put their knowledge to the test and utilize it to help the people all around them,” preached Musa. “I totally agree with you my brother,” said Shah Jahan. “What you say, Musa, is very true. It is truly a blessing to be able to obtain an
education, and use it to help the world around you. People should have the right to gain knowledge no matter what. Planck is clearly very lucky to receive such an education in the field of science that he was able to come up with such a marvelous theory. What an amazing man he is.” “Yes education is very important as all of you have stated,” said Aguinaldo. “Without an education one will be held back from being able to accomplish great things in their lives. They won’t have the chance to actually do something with their lives and actually make something of it as well.” “Musa, you speak wise words, my friend,” stated Castro, “everyone should be able to have an education no matter what. Education is important for each and every individual to have. It will help them succeed greatly in life17. Having knowledge will help strengthen the mind and body to do great things. As we can see, Planck was able to come up with this theory due to his great mind being able to do conjure up such an elaborate discovery. I say we raise our glasses up to education and applaud this Planck fellow! Huzzah!” yelled Castro. “To education!” they all yelled in unison. “So I see that we can all agree upon the fact that knowledge is power, and education is great, but the greatest thing of all is… ICE CREAM WHICH IS ON ITS WAY TOWARDS US!!!” exclaimed Musa in excitement. “YAAASSS!” the men yelled together. As soon as each and every one of the men got their plate of fine ice cream, they quickly devoured it in a heartbeat and demanded for more. The men went at the ice cream again and again. They had ever tasted such a delicacy before. It was so good, that the men began to form tears of joy, but they didn’t care, they were eating the best ice cream known to man.
“My men, now that we have dined on the most amazing dinner and dessert ever, and we have finished discussing the events from the time period of the 1880s to the present day, 1914, I know of one more surprise in store, waiting for us,” said Aguinaldo. “As you all know, today is New Year’s Eve and lucky for us we are sitting in the right spot to witness the spectacular event which will occur in just a mere 10 minutes. You guys know what it is?” “What is it?” the men all questioned. “The ball drop in Times Square, my friends,” Aguinaldo said with a smirk on his face. “Come, let us go to the roof of this large building and witness the magnificent glory of the ball drop in Times Square, we have 9 minutes left, my friends.” With that the group of friends went up to the roof of the building along with a whole lot more ice cream, and they chatted and cracked jokes and had fun all while waiting for the ball to drop. Once it dropped, each men stared in awe at the beautiful and majestic flurry of confetti flying all over the sky. They all hugged each other and cried like men should and rejoiced very loudly. They were screaming at the top of their manly lungs, hoping to make the moments last until they each had to leave one-by-one sooner or later. Whilst yelling, the men began to notice that they were all vanishing and disappearing. Quickly as to not let any more time be wasted, the strong and powerful men each said there last farewell to each other. These farewells were also met with lots and lots of manly tears. “Until next time...," they said to one another as they felt themselves disappearing. The friends hugged one another as hard as they could as they all slowly and thinly vanished away, leaving just their huge tub of ice cream on the floor along with their spoons and plates. All was quiet at restaurant again except for the piercing sound of the cheering in the streets.
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Mr. Huth
A Historical Dinner Party
It is December 31st, 1914, just a couple more hours until the New Year. The loud sound of cars and taxis honking could be heard from all over. Times Square was as vibrant as ever during this time of the year with its streets and buildings all still lined up with Christmas and winter decorations. The window displays of department stores showcased their after-Christmas sale specials. However, some stores were thinking ahead and already had Valentine’s Day displays out on their windows. Shoppers, tourists, and families crowded the streets on every block in anticipation for the glorious ball drop in Times Square. However, the real party, was just some blocks away at the Grand Time Traveler’s …show more content…
Restaurant. A restaurant specifically for great historical figures who have time traveled to either the past or the future or in fact may not have time traveled at all in order to discuss specific events of the given time period, which for this event ranges from 1880 to present day, 1914. For this dinner party six figures each from a different time period and region would meet up at the restaurant. Though each from a different region and time period, they have been equipped with a bracelet which will enable them to speak modern English so each and every member will be able to understand each other. It was almost dinner time, and the first of the six figures was just arriving. The first to arrive among was Ramesses II, the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He was dressed in traditional ancient Egyptian attire which included the traditional royal headdress known as the Nemes, the infamous false beard, and the royal apron also known as the Shendyt1 along with no shirt. As he walked into the restaurant, Ramesses II was shivering endlessly as he was unaccustomed to the cold and harsh weather of New York City at this time of year. He quickly went to the reserved table for six and sat on the seat closest to the heater. The next of the six to arrive was Qin Shi Huang, the unifier of China in 221 BC. He wore a traditional long gown with the image of a fierce black and red dragon embroidered onto it2, along with a cap known as the mianguan3. When he walked into the restaurant and spotted the shirtless guy warming himself by the heater, he knew that that was his table. He walked towards the table and sat across Ramesses II. A few minutes later arrived Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor of India. He was dressed in a royal traditional dhoti4, along with a fashionable turban. Unlike Qin Shi Huang, he sat right next to Ramesses II. A while after came Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines. He walked in wearing a warm overcoat with a traditional barong tagalog underneath and regular black pants5, and then he sat next to Qin Shi Huang. Next up to arrive was Fidel Castro, who served as both the Prime Minister and President of Cuba, however each during different time periods. He came in wearing a large black overcoat over a green military suit along with a green hat. He walked in and sat himself next to Emilio Aguinaldo. Ten minutes later, the last of the six to arrive was Mansa Musa, the tenth king of the wealthy Mali Empire. He was surprisingly dressed in the most modern clothes up to date. He had on an expensive large overcoat and underneath that a fancy black suit and black dress pants. When the other five members saw him, they all looked at him in awe as if he actually came from the future, but really he came from the past. He briskly walked in and sat himself next to his Muslim brother Shah Jahan.
Although Musa was last to arrive, he was the first to break the deep and awkward silence amongst the group by apologizing and explaining his tardiness as once he got to New York City, he found it to be very cold so he quickly went to the largest department store near him, which was Macy’s and he bought himself the best warm outfit which money could buy him. Afterwards, as he walked to the restaurant, he spotted a poor old man sitting by himself and Musa acted willingly and gave the man a few hundred dollars. Musa was then surrounded by a great pack of poor people eager for his money even though he was of African descent. Once all the poor people were gone, Musa saw that he was very late for the dinner party so he rushed to the restaurant, and here he was now. Everyone around the table listened to his story intently and patiently and in awe and they all nodded their heads in unison. As the six men quietly waited for someone to speak, they each surveyed the beautifully decorated interior of the restaurant. There were pictures of almost every single historical figure to exist up to date hung up in extravagant frames. There were even pictures of historical figures which historians were never able to get accurate pictures or drawings of, but here they were, the glorious faces and bodies of the most famous, spiritual, historical peoples known to man. In fact, they were all in color too. Each of the men sitting down gasped at the breath taking pictures, some of which had the familiar faces of their past ancestors. Despite the vast choice of words which they all could have spoken to describe how they felt, the only word which they could muster up though was, “Wow!” Some of these great men may have in fact, begun to tear up at the familiar faces of their ancestors. However, as soon as each of the men realized that they were crying in front of other men, they each quickly felt embarrassed, and as a result Castro spoke amongst the men and declared, “My fellow men, there is no shame whatsoever in showing your true emotions to other men around you. It is in this way how we will all be able to bond and become great… bros.” Puzzled, the other five men questioned what “bro” meant, to which Castro replied by saying that it meant “brothers who stick together and fight for each other no matter what.” “Bro…,” said each men to themselves quietly, “I like this word.” Musa then raised his glass of water in the air and yelled, “To my bros!” and each men followed and they all clinked their glasses together laughing heartily. This act surely began to break their awkwardness towards each other as they were all comfortable with each other now. After a few more moments of brotherly bonding, it was time to get serious so Ramesses II spoke out among the men, “My men, enough of this, I say we get down to business and begin our discussion on four of these events listed in this here ‘Events Menu.’” Each men picked up the menu and began looking over the events from the time period of which they were given, the 1880s to the present day, 1914. After some browsing, the men voted on their first event. They chose to discuss the establishment of the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) in 1903, which advocated for improved wages and working conditions in factories and workplaces for women6. Ramesses II spoke first. In a shocked tone, he spoke, “I am most certainly surprised to find that women are treated in such a way where they have to fight for their rights! They should already have those rights of which they are fighting for! The women of this country and any other country should be equal to men and should be treated just like men are. They should be treated no more differently than the men of today are. Back in Egypt, the women had just about the same rights that the men did. They were able to manage, own, or even sell their own private property which also included slaves, land, and livestock7. I for one certainly approve of this movement and I am willing to join in if I could. I demand for the women of this so called great country to have equal rights with men.” Each men nodded in approval of Ramesses II’s thoughts. “My friend,” said Musa, “I for one completely agree with you. As a Muslim I believe that women should in fact be treated better8. The working conditions which they face in factories is just plain wrong. I believe that there should be a change in how women are treated in this society’s day and age. Our women should be cherished and kept safe. The working conditions must be improved and they must obtain better wages. Oh how I wish I could help these women by improving the conditions of the factories tenfold with all my money, so they can work in better environments.” “Ah yes a fellow Muslim,” rejoices Shah Jahan, “Assalamu alaikum, my dear brother of Islam.” “Wa-alaikum assalaam, brother,” replies Musa with a smile. “I for one fully agree with you my brother, Musa,” continues Shah Jahan. “You include some very important factors. But if I may add, these women surely should not be fighting for their rights right now, because they should clearly already have them. It is such a pity that women are treated like this. Oh how times have clearly changed.” Next up to speak was Castro, who seemed to have a creepy smile on his face. “Heh heh, you guys wanna know how many women I’ve gotten with over the years?… A lot!” Shah Jahan disgusted replies, “Well have you really ever loved a woman so much that you built a large and beautifully structured building to house her grave in? I think not, so shut up and get back on task.” “You wanna fight?” replies Castro. “No,” says Shah Jahan with a serious face. “Thought so, you little punk!” says Castro despite being filled with fear. “Anyways, I agree with Ramesses II. I mean women have always been treated like this really it’s actually no surprise for me, but yeah women really need to be treated better because the way that society is god awful. Not only do they have to work in piss-poor conditions, but at the end of the day, they also have families to go back to. They have their own children to see and take care of, and their husband too. What a disaster it would be if one day a mother goes off to work and leaves her children at school, but would then never come home because of a fatal injury at the factory leaving her dead, and leaving her children motherless. Oh what a cruel country this is. I also fully support these women for going out of their way and joining the labor force despite it not being much of a socially acceptable act. They really deserve these opportunities to work so they can show that they are just as hardworking and strong as men9. “I am truly sorry to say this,” began Qin Shi Huang, “but I must disagree with each and every one of you fellows. Women clearly should not be working. Why else would there be men? Why should the women take over the jobs of the men? Do men take over the jobs of women, and take care of the children and stay at home all day? No, I don’t think so. So why should women be able to do the jobs of men? Women are not fit to have the same jobs as men. They should definitely not be working. They should stay at home and take care of the children and cook food for their family10. End of story.” “Hmmm, that is an interesting take Qin Shi Huang,” replies Aguinaldo. “I fully respect you for your thoughts, although I still think that the women should indeed have better rights, and should not be treated the way they are. They definitely need better working conditions and better wages because they too have families to take care of.” “Ah so that is what everyone thinks yes?” said Musa. “Well great! Each and every one of you did a wonderful job explaining your ideas, and they were really well thought out too! However, now it is time for even more serious business… what do you guys want for dinner? Let us take a look at our menus okay?”
With that, everyone began browsing through the tasty menu options which the restaurant had for dinner. Shah Jahan and Musa both being of Islamic faith ordered a unique and ravishing halal dinner. Ramesses II ordered a traditional Egyptian feast. Qin Shi Huang too ordered a traditional feast. However, both Aguinaldo and Castro ordered more modern and tasty dinners. “Now that everyone has decided what they are going to have for dinner, we shall discuss another event while waiting for our unique and exquisite dinners. Let us pick!” exclaimed Musa. After some deciding, the six figures decided on discussing the new era of transportation which has begun on September 1st, 1897 with the first underground public transportation in North America, known as the subway, being opened in Boston, Massachusetts11. Ramesses II was the first to speak again. “I must say this new feat of transportation is truly magnificent. Oh how I wish I had one of these back in Egypt. I surely would have been the most powerful person alive at that time. With this faster and more efficient way of transportation, it will surely be easier to travel to foreign regions and conquer them much quicker. This subway will also help travel to new lands much faster too.” “Yes,” began Qin Shi Huang, “not only will it help conquer lands much quicker, but it will also help unify countries much quicker by being able to travel to the other cities and/or towns much more rapidly. Oh how I wish these were around in my time so I could have unified China much quicker than I did. With the extra time I would have saved from unifying quicker, I could have thought of ways to better my country even more!” “Marvelous!” exclaims Musa, “this is subway looks wonderful to have. I wish to buy on immediately with my wealth. I’m sure it won’t cost much as I am, in fact, the world’s richest man. This fine mode of transportation would have also been useful for when I went on my wonderful pilgrimage with gold and resources and people so I could have gotten there much faster and easier!” “Yes subways will be very essential to everyone’s needs,” says Shah Jahan. “I agree very much with what you guys say Ramesses II and Qin Shi Huang. The subway would be very essential in conquering foreign lands, and in unifying countries together at a much more efficient rate. Also, it will become one of the best ways to transport goods and the like no doubt! People from all over the country will be able to have new and better resources with the subways bringing in all kinds of things from different parts of the country! They will surely cut travel time by more than half as well! What new places we would be able to explore!” “Yes I see where everyone is going with this,” states Aguinaldo. “The subway will very much improve transportation overall. People would be able to visit their family and friends all over the country at a much faster rate. Also not only that, but travel prices will surely be low as well so that even normal families and people can visit their loved ones possibly across the whole country for just a reasonable amount of money!” “This invention sure was revolutionary,” states Castro as he was the only one among the five other figures who has ever rode on a subway. “The subways really helped get people from one point to another much more efficiently than cars and buses ever did. The people loved the subways. They rode on them every day. People would often use them to go to work, and others used them to go to parks and schools and other places as well. It surely decreased normal travel time by car and bus by a lot. Everyone loved the subways.” claimed Castro. “So it seems that everyone agrees on the creation of the subway being a wonderful new invention, how splendid! But I know something that’s even more splendid!… Our dinner is here! Let us all chow down on our magnificent dinners before continuing further with our delightful discussion.” So as the historical figures ate away at their delicious dinners, they cracked some more jokes and bonded together even more.
“Ahhh that was quite the feast we had,” said Qin Shi Huang with a stuffed tummy. “I have never in my life tasted something as amazing as my dinner!” Everyone else with stuffed tummies nodded as best they could, and with that Qin Shi Huang let out a huge burp, to which everyone laughed at, and to show their appreciation for his burp, they all let out even louder burps. “My friends,” started Aguinaldo, “I believe it is time for us to pick our third event to discuss.” With that the friends picked up the Events Menu and began browsing for another event once again. This time the group decided to discuss the event which occurred on December 10th, 1898 which marked the end of the Spanish-American war which began on April 25, 1898. The Treaty of Paris was signed to end the war, and as a result, Spain had to reluctantly hand over their control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines Islands, Guam, and other islands to the United States1213. Rameses II began the discussion by stating, “I believe this war was necessary because in order to solve disputes and problems, we must go to war, and of course the winner will get what they want. Here we can tell that the countries which Spain had control over wanted freedom and independence so in order for them to gain that independence, they had to go to war and fight for it, or else they would never achieve their goal.” “Yes countries should indeed take initiative and fight for their freedom to get what they desire. It is their only hope in getting what they want. However, they should really learn how to be more unified. If a country is not unified, then they will surely fall out of their power and they will crumble along with their cities.” I understand what you guys are saying, however, I must intervene and say that I disagree with you. War is not always the answer,” pleads Musa. “There are plenty of other routes which you can take to achieve your goal. With war comes the deaths of hundreds or thousands or even millions. This is not a pretty sight. Countries need to find better ways to settle disputes rather than risking innocent people’s lives. The lives of mothers and their children and the elderly and brave men shouldn’t be a cost of war. War will only ever bring violence amongst the nations peoples. It just isn’t right.” “I hear you my fellow brother,” begins Shah Jahan. “Most of what you are saying, I must agree upon, however, sometimes it is better to go to war than do nothing at all and let your people die of hunger and let them be destroyed by the other nation attacking you. Sometimes when there is no other option, must you go to war. In the long run, though some lives will be lost, but once you win, it will benefit you by guaranteeing you that your people will survive and they will carry on remembering you and what you did for them, and what you did for the future of the nation,” lectured Shah Jahan. “I personally was not happy with the outcomes of the war,” exclaims Aguinaldo with deep hatred. “My people and I believed ourselves to be free, however, then everything changed when the United States attacked. The United States decided to buy my beloved country and take control of it. We were so close to our freedom but then it was all taken away. My people and I had to fight for our freedom once again. I was even captured by the Americans which ended up cutting my presidency short. It was a tough battle all of it, but now we’re just lucky to have our freedom and independence at last14," sighs Aguinaldo in relief. "My god," replies Musa in disbelief, "you my friend have clearly had it rough. May Allah grant you and your people with long lasting independence and peace. You deserve it brother." "Thank you very much Musa!" "Yes!" exclaimed Castro, "You see? Aguinaldo 's fight for freedom just proves that in order for countries to get what they want, they must obviously fight for it and strive towards their goal. You have to do what is best for your country no matter the costs at stake. You must make some sacrifices to achieve the best, and sometimes those sacrifices are drastic but you just gotta do what you gotta do." "Hmmm good, everyone had such great things to say to contribute to the discussion," said Musa with joy, "you all did great explaining your thoughts, but you wanna know what 's even more great?… DESSERT YAAAH!!!" screamed Musa. "WOOHOO!!!" they all screamed and cheered in excitement. "Let us order our desserts my friends!" rejoiced Musa. "YASSSSSS!" they all screamed again. The six historical figures who were thought to be wise old men, turned out to be little kids when it came to dessert. They all ordered the best ice cream money could buy them and if they did not have any money, Musa told them that he would "spot them." At first not knowing what ice cream was, Ramesses II, Musa, Shah Jahan, and Qin Shi Huang were going to order their traditional desserts, but then Castro and Aguinaldo informed them of the most wonderful delicacy known to man, ice cream. At first reluctant to try, the two persuaded the other four to try something new for once, and after some persuading they agreed. “Now that we have ordered our desserts, let us choose our next and last event to discuss!” exclaimed Castro.
After a while the friends chose to discuss the presentation of the physicist Max Planck to the German Physical Society about his Quantum Theory, which is basically the theoretical basis of modern physics that analyzes the nature and behavior of matter and energy on both the atomic and subatomic level15.
Quick to respond, Ramesses II awfully brain-hurt questioned, “In all my life I have never heard of such gibberish before, however, despite not knowing what this means, it sounds pretty impressive. I applaud Planck for this great discovery of his, and surely his hard work had not gone to waste with this theory of his. I believe that education can enable one to go further on in what they believe. It will help them greatly with their lives, and help them achieve great things.” said Ramesses II. “Yes education is very powerful,” begins Qin Shi Huang, “it can really help a person reach very great feats, such as this Planck person. We can see how much thought he has put into his research to come up with such a theory. With education, it can drive people to do great things. They will be able to do things no person has ever been able to do before,” says Qin Shi Huang. “Having knowledge and an education are one of the greatest things an individual can have,” states Musa. “With just a small drop of knowledge, one can achieve wondrous things in their lives. Everyone should have such an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge, it will benefit them in so many ways, in which they have never seen or heard of. This is why during my pilgrimage to Hajj, I helped pay for and build many libraries, universities, and mosques so that the people in those regions could suck in the knowledge which they would gain from the universities16. I only hope that they put their knowledge to the test and utilize it to help the people all around them,” preached Musa. “I totally agree with you my brother,” said Shah Jahan. “What you say, Musa, is very true. It is truly a blessing to be able to obtain an
education, and use it to help the world around you. People should have the right to gain knowledge no matter what. Planck is clearly very lucky to receive such an education in the field of science that he was able to come up with such a marvelous theory. What an amazing man he is.” “Yes education is very important as all of you have stated,” said Aguinaldo. “Without an education one will be held back from being able to accomplish great things in their lives. They won’t have the chance to actually do something with their lives and actually make something of it as well.” “Musa, you speak wise words, my friend,” stated Castro, “everyone should be able to have an education no matter what. Education is important for each and every individual to have. It will help them succeed greatly in life17. Having knowledge will help strengthen the mind and body to do great things. As we can see, Planck was able to come up with this theory due to his great mind being able to do conjure up such an elaborate discovery. I say we raise our glasses up to education and applaud this Planck fellow! Huzzah!” yelled Castro. “To education!” they all yelled in unison. “So I see that we can all agree upon the fact that knowledge is power, and education is great, but the greatest thing of all is… ICE CREAM WHICH IS ON ITS WAY TOWARDS US!!!” exclaimed Musa in excitement. “YAAASSS!” the men yelled together. As soon as each and every one of the men got their plate of fine ice cream, they quickly devoured it in a heartbeat and demanded for more. The men went at the ice cream again and again. They had ever tasted such a delicacy before. It was so good, that the men began to form tears of joy, but they didn’t care, they were eating the best ice cream known to man.
“My men, now that we have dined on the most amazing dinner and dessert ever, and we have finished discussing the events from the time period of the 1880s to the present day, 1914, I know of one more surprise in store, waiting for us,” said Aguinaldo. “As you all know, today is New Year’s Eve and lucky for us we are sitting in the right spot to witness the spectacular event which will occur in just a mere 10 minutes. You guys know what it is?” “What is it?” the men all questioned. “The ball drop in Times Square, my friends,” Aguinaldo said with a smirk on his face. “Come, let us go to the roof of this large building and witness the magnificent glory of the ball drop in Times Square, we have 9 minutes left, my friends.” With that the group of friends went up to the roof of the building along with a whole lot more ice cream, and they chatted and cracked jokes and had fun all while waiting for the ball to drop. Once it dropped, each men stared in awe at the beautiful and majestic flurry of confetti flying all over the sky. They all hugged each other and cried like men should and rejoiced very loudly. They were screaming at the top of their manly lungs, hoping to make the moments last until they each had to leave one-by-one sooner or later. Whilst yelling, the men began to notice that they were all vanishing and disappearing. Quickly as to not let any more time be wasted, the strong and powerful men each said there last farewell to each other. These farewells were also met with lots and lots of manly tears. “Until next time...," they said to one another as they felt themselves disappearing. The friends hugged one another as hard as they could as they all slowly and thinly vanished away, leaving just their huge tub of ice cream on the floor along with their spoons and plates. All was quiet at restaurant again except for the piercing sound of the cheering in the streets.
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