Thursday, April 25, 2013

One Night in Alcatraz...


So, Damian is officially on vacation for 3 weeks and we have already been out doing a bunch of fun stuff. So far we spent a few days up in Tokyo trying to see and do a few more things before we leave. One of the many things we wanted to do was go to one of theme restaurants they have around the city! There was so many to choose from... Alice in Wonderland theme, Ninja, Vampire, Pirates, or maybe even a cat cafe... Many of the apartments in Tokyo do not allow cats so you could go to one of these cafes and hang out with a bunch of cats and maybe even pay extra to pet them... definitely not for me, unless I brought a bunch of Benadryl for my allergies!!! Anyway, Damian and I chose to go to "Alcatraz ER" for our theme restaurant of the night! It was located in the Shibuya district of Tokyo and after winding through a bunch of alley ways and "love hotels" we found it. Alcatraz ER: A Shibuya Medical Prison... oh boy I don't think either one of us really knew what we were in for! 

Eeeeeeeeek!!!
Our cell
After getting out of the elevator we found ourselves in a very dark hallway with just this sign you see to the left... I was already totally on high alert for someone to jump out at me, but no one did... yet!!!! So we pushed one of the buttons below the sign and a door opened leading us into the restaurant... Instead of a host, we encountered a Japanese guy in scrubs, a scrub cap and mask... OK here we go... no turning back now! He had us read a sign that said "YOU ARE NOW PATIENTS IN SHIBUYA MEDICAL PRISON." Then he called for our "nurse" and she led us to our table, I mean cell. We walked down some narrow hallways with old operating tables and IV poles hanging around and imbedded into the glass floor were some of the poor prisoners who didn't make it out! She led us to our cell which was in the ICU of the prison (restaurant). Our cell was upstairs and we had to take our shoes off and climb up a few stairs to get into our tiny seating area on the floor. 





The menu was hilarious... instead of it being broken down into drinks, appetizers, meals, desserts, etc, it was: Admission, Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, Death, and Discharge. It took us a few minutes to adjust to being behind bars and we took a bunch of pictures. Our nurse came up to our table to give us an English menu and also show us how to call to order... yup, you guessed it, you bang against the metal bars to get the nurses attention! So fun!!! Also, when the nurse came up to our table, she gave us each a little white cup and told us it was our "medicine"... it was full of mini rice crackers, but so funny that she called it our medicine! We were totally loving this place already! Ok, time for drinks!!! SO many fun ones to choose it was hard to decide... Damian got a draft beer that came in a graduated cylinder that looked like it belonged in a chemistry lab somewhere and I ordered a vodka/grape drink that came in a mannequin head!!!! We also ordered some edamame and when our nurse brought it to our cell she said I had to play a game to get it... rocks, paper, scissors is apparently a universal game! So I played scissors, she went paper and I got to put on a glove and get us 2 handfuls of edamame... SCORE!!!! 

Next up was ordering our meal... they had sausages that looked like "intestines" and all sorts of other anatomical food items... I got some cheese pizza since being a vegetarian in Japan is not always easy, and Damian got some dumplings and rice... but not just any rice... "boob fried rice!" AND it came in a metal kidney basin... old school!!! Everything was pretty tasty! We didn't expect much since our trip there was mostly for entertainment not because the food was exceptionally good! We both ordered another drink, Damian had a plum wine is a normal glass and I got a mojito in a beaker... and the sugar came on the side in a tiny plastic bag that again the nurse told me was my "medicine." I'm still laughing about this whole experience... but it's not over yet!!!

We had been there about 2 hours and were about to get our check, when ALL the lights went out, and I don't mean just the main lights, I mean every single last light in the entire restaurant/prison/hospital......I could not see my hands in front of me! Then the sirens started going off... like a prisoner had escaped... then the red flashing warning lights came on overhead, which at least was a little bit of light... then the screaming started and the banging on the walls... at this point all I could do was wait as I tried to find Damian's hand in the dark cell. This went on for awhile (felt like a lot longer since we were in the dark)... Damian says it was only a few minutes. Next thing I know a psychopath with a zombie mask is outside our cell sticking its arms through and trying to grab at us... I am obviously screaming bloody murder at this point which was obviously a welcoming for this zombie to come into our cell and physically grab us!!!! My screaming continued, the other screaming continued, and finally the zombie left our cell... Eventually the lights came on and we got our check... My heart was racing but it was really a really fun and different evening! As we were walking out, there appeared to be an abandoned cell with a bunch of tables and storage in it... it was marked "Operating Room." I pointed it out to Damian and the next thing I know there is a guy grabbing my arm from the darkness! I had totally let my guard back down a little too soon! All in all a VERY unique experience! 
Just a little on edge...

Japanese Word of the Day:
Kankoshi (can-ko-she): Nurse   





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