The ringing of cow bells...

Driving in to the city of Hamilton you can find yourself confronted with promotional billboards showcasing the local heroes- The Chiefs. The Chiefs are the much fussed over local rugby team who enter into the Super14 competition annually. I thought it only appropriate that I watch a game to see what all the fuss was about. Not being a big fan I didn’t enjoy the game as much as the local rugby club but found the atmosphere of good sorts to be in. Much of the crowd was adorned with red, black and yellow attire, and a number exercised face paint to mach. The ringing of cow bells (a tradition I am told) filled the stadium with a roar. I can’t recall the ending score but the physical surroundings remain vivid in my impression. Traditionally and maybe not in a protruding sense but definitely in contemporary society, the sports arena is a space of heteronormativity. While I can’t say that I witnessed notions of prejudice in the crowd there was a dominant display of masculinity- I suggest this scene not for the faint hearted. The space has in some stances been a space of racism. In the New Zealand news on Friday 14 May a statement was released from Rugby chief executive Steve Tew apologising to those Maori players that had been overlooked for teams playing in South Africa in times of apartheid (TVN 2009). Whilst contemporary sport society does not host such discriminations these days spectators should still prepare themselves for controversial statements made by the crowed. “Come on ya black bastard, GO”. This statement I observed during my time in the Hamilton crowed. While this statement was spoken with ‘positive racism’ I suggest this space fit for the fast pace tourist in search of events that provide a great atmosphere, go and see a game in Super14 season, at the Waikato stadium.

Comments welcome

TVNZ 2009: Maori players get formal apology. Viewed 29 May 2010 from http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/nzru-apologises-maori-players-3541314

Photo from http://segwaynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/lil-chief-blog.jpg

Oh what a night...

It was time to experience the Hamilton clubbing scene so I headed to the nightclub Shine on Victoria Street- a nightclub which proudly and reputedly serves the gay community in Hamilton. As described on their website the club plays a range of music all however, with a “distinctively gay flavour” so if you’re in the mood for dancing the night away Shine is the place. From the moment I walked in I recognised this as a queer ‘joint’ as gay couples cuddled up on couches and mingled at the bar. I must note though that I was surprised to see a number of straight couples occupying this space- without vulnerability- a theory I wanted evidence for during my stay. The physical layout was modern and ‘clean’ looking, comprising cool coloured furnishings and state of the art lighting (LED).
Unfortunately I was not present for one of the much acclaimed themed party nights which host traditional drag shows- another of Hamilton’s event benefits’. If you are in town on Queens Birthday weekend Shine will be hosting Miss Drag 2010 Waikato, a site to behold.
For a night of boogie and extravagant cocktails in Hamilton I recommend Shine Bar a must see, gay and straight occupants alike, you won’t be disappointed.

Comments welcome

Photograph from Shine Bars Photos- Red Party 2009 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5082&id=100000409672979#!/photo.php?pid=56957&id=100000409672979

Paradise for all kinds...

I’ve come to find that Hamilton Gardens are one of the city’s most marketed attractions. I spent around 1.5 hours at the attraction to discover what all the fuss was about. The hype was warranted from the English rose gardens to the Japanese Garden of Contemplation. This popular tourist attraction has something for everyone from the tourist in search of cultural authenticity to the tourist in simple admiration for landscapes. I found this space wasn’t overtly gendered or sexed. I observed tourists of differentiating genders and sexual identities although I couldn’t help thinking about the security nature spaces provide for reinforcing heterosexuality- as there were far more straight couples then there were queer. If I had to position the space in terms of sexuality though, heterosexual would be my observation. The local workspaces of the gardens were noticeably gendered however with women in much more domestic roles i.e. working at the cafe and men in much more labouring roles i.e. landscape gardeners operating heavy machinery. The gardens provide cultural diversity in terms of tourist identities vastly because some type of physical feature for many of the prominent tourist cultures in New Zealand (Asian, Maori, Pakeha, American, Chinese, and Indian) was present. If you are in search of a space full of beautiful natural (majority) wonder then I would highly recommend the Hamilton Gardens for a morning or afternoon of gaze.

Comments welcome

Photographs by Kimberley Higgison

Bloke Sized Burgers...

As I sat down to a tasty burger at Burger Fuel on Victoria Street I noticed I was sitting next two three males assumedly in their late 20s. I will draw on feminist perspective in deconstructing the gender relations through the body (male) and space (Burger Fuel).

Sitting on the sidewalk I observed the men next to me portraying very strongly, masculine identities. I found that in the main street of Hamilton uneven power relations exist whereby the experiences of men and women differ. In this public space women can be subject to notions of sexism as I witness the men next to me make subject the female passers-by. The men gaze at the female bodies with a sort of lust, turning to ‘check out’ their backsides as they move past. This scenario reminded me of a cockfight whereby the male species compete for the ultimate masculine title. As women move past the men sit up slightly more and their voices gain extra volume as if to prove something.

I wonder whether their behaviour was motivated from the fact that they were a three-some of male consumers out to dinner together and felt they needed to make their sexual identity known to be straight. This observation leads me to question whether if the roles were reversed the same behaviour would emerge or whether on the main streets of Hamilton one can begin to witness contemporary forms of patriarchy.

Coments welcome.

Photograph from http://www.steveklotz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/cockfight.jpg

A Slice of Hospitality...

I found Angel Cakes Cafe after searching for gay tourist attraction in Hamilton. I made my way to the carefully decorated cafe and sat down to a well-made cup of coffee and most heavenly chocolate brownie. This gay owned and operated venture creates a safe place for gay couples, where they wouldn’t be accused of ‘flaunting’ (one of my favourite labels to critique) their sexuality when engaging in PDA (public displays of affection). I note that heterosexual couples too occupy this space, some unaware of the cafes discourse and others accepting of it. The results from researching lesbians in the home in 1995 led others to question whether gay tourism operations could replace feelings of safety and acceptance and notions of privacy for the sexual identity of queer bodies in which ‘home’ would otherwise provide if these bodies weren’t constantly de-queering the spaces for visitors. Unlike the SkyCIty Casino the warm atmosphere and queer space of Angel Cakes Cafe made me (the tourist) feel at ease in the embodied experience. This experience is a sound example of how gay tourism operations can act as a haven from the queerly concealed home. My visit exemplifies also, the difference in tourism embodiment for queer and heterosexual bodies. I will later question as to whether straight bodies experience such anxieties when becoming a tourist in queer spaces.

Comments welcome

Photograph by Jessica Keppel

Red Queen, Black Queen...

I visited the local ISite and inquired as to the Hamilton nightlife and was told I couldn’t go past the SkyCity Casino. It just so happened I was in time for the nights specials but opted for the seafood basket instead. I then sat down to the Friday night show. It was just as my meal arrived and as I saw a middle aged, heterosexual couple engage in a kiss that I realised my contrasting identities which Panelli (2004) can relate to. I held the identity of a tourist visiting Hamilton for the first time, a tourism scholar looking critically at tourist attractions but I was a single woman out to dinner by herself, surrounded in couples. As hard as it was to manage my identity in the casino space I focused on looking critically at the casino in relation to ‘Otherness’. As the night went on the casino space became increasingly heterosexual. The few gay couples I did recognise at the start of my meal slowly dispersed into the crowd of heterosexuality, perhaps lacking comfort in this highly public space. The gambling space was much the same. I do not note that SkyCity Casino is a space of prejudice rather I position the space in the dominant discourses of heterosexuality. I suggest that it was because I identified myself in relation to the difference I saw in others (not being a straight women with company) that I labelled the space in such a way. I will say though that for a free show, reasonable meal and slice of gambling the night wasn’t a total discomfort and will note that the space was culturally diverse with no displays of cultural alienation.

Drawing by Jessica Keppel
Photograph retrieved from:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7AhYq4KLac4/STNRA6jM0I/AAAAAAAAAAk/JHykpQ1KkS4/s1600/thum_tablegame_blackjack_large_2-54c21b64-e6ff-4380-9b3f-87f14bdb2e96-2-240x190.jpg