May 9th, 2007
Desi Blogging Cafe: Jammy Rajan from Ouch My Toe!
Welcome to Gauravonomics Blog! Subscribe to my combined feed in a feed reader or by e-mail and you'll never miss a single post. Thanks for visiting!
Jamshed Velayuda Rajan, or Jammy Rajan, is based in Chennai, works for an Internet major, blogs at Ouch My Toe and is one of India’s funniest bloggers.
I have already written about why I love Jammy’s blog -
- Jammy manages to do that rare thing - being personal and funny at the same time - and every post on this blog is laugh out loud funny.
- Jammy has one of the best 404 error page I have seen on a desi blog. Reminds me that I have to work on mine.
- Jammy does innovative little things to engage his readers, like offering a Best of Ouch My Toe PDF file for download, asking readers to pick a topic for him and putting subscription and archive buttons within his posts.
Jammy, I feel, is the perfect follow-up to Jai, because of the contrasts between them in terms of their backgrounds, their content and their style of writing. It will be my endeavour in ‘Desi Blogging Cafe’ to explore this diversity in desi blogging.
Q. When and why did you start blogging? Has the reason why you blog changed over time?
A. I started blogging in 2003 – reason enough to called an old hat. When the mania began I was just trying out a new internet tool… like how somebody would try out Digg or Delicious… didn’t know I would get addicted. Yes… you are right… reasons for blogging have kept changing. First it was for distribution within the office, later comments from benevolent souls, mid-way thro’ it was the Google Adsense… and now it is just the thrill of entertaining people one hasn’t even met.
Q. What do you blog about? Has the focus of your blog changed over time?
A. This may sound like a cliché… my blog is about funny twists to my day-to-day observations. I have always tried to keep my posts funny… initially by using my wife as the punching bag (the Google Adsense money keeps her happy) and now my 30-day old daughter.
Q. How do you think people describe your blog to others who don’t read it? How would you like them to describe it?
A. Since I make fun of my wife and all things women (and men) do I wouldn’t be surprised if my readers describe Ouchmytoe as ‘that woman-hater’s blog.’ I would want them to refer to Ouchmytoe.com as ‘that funny blog’.
I thnk I can assure Jammy on behalf of all his readers that we do indeed think of his blog as ‘that funny blog’ and not as ‘that woman-hater’s blog.’
Q. Is your online persona different from your real self?
A. Yep. You caught me faking there. In real life I am a control freak. Besides, the photograph being used on my blog has been worked upon in Photoshop and was chosen from among 1465 pictures snapped using my Nokia N70. One thing is true though – I am as funny in real life conversations as I am on my blog. PS: We Rajans are very modest.
I think I need to go back and ask Jammy if he chose the picture from 1465 pictures because: (a) it made him look the funniest, or (b) it made him look the most handsome. Jammy?
Q. How important is your blog to you? In what ways? Why?
A. Ouchmytoe is very important because of the Adsense revenue it brings. Just kidding. Needless to say, the blog has brought along new friends. There have been at least four instances where people have recognized me outdoors (I say outdoors, coz I am not referring to my family here) and asked if I was Jammy of Ouchmytoe. I am sure there must have been a few undecided souls like me, who never approached me because they weren’t sure.
I’m so useless! My adsense revenue approximate towards zero dollars on most days and nobody, albsolutly nobody, has ever stopped me in the middle of the street and asked for my autograph!
Q. What have you learnt from blogging?
A. I have learnt that if one keeps going day in and day out… soon enough people are going to turn and say: “Hey, you are doing a damn neat job. I am proud of you.” I am still waiting for somebody to say this to me.
Q. What are you highest and lowest blogging moments? Why?
A. The lowest blogging moment was when I decided to shift from Rediffblogs to my own domain and came to know that there was no “import from Rediffblogs” feature. I had to manually upload 600 odd posts written over the last 4 years. My advice… if you have been blogging regularly for more than three months… you have the spark… go get your own domain.
The highest blogging moment will be when a publisher gets in touch for a book deal.
My first blogging advice for any semi-serious blogger: go get your own domain name. I’m glad Jammy agrees.
And the book deal, I think, is already happening. Future invitees pay attention: ‘Desi Blogging Cafe’ brings good luck to bloggers. 
Q. Which are your three favorite posts? Why?
A. The page view hungry blogger that I have become, I couldn’t select my top three favorite posts. Instead, I give you five:
- Our visit to the gynecologist.
- A married man’s guide to safe and sound staring
- A Gentleman’s guide to your wife’s sari
- About Jamshed Velayuda Rajan
Q. How many blogs do you read? If you were to read only one blog, which one would it be? Why?
A. If you give me 30 days time, I would have read 50 new blogs – the frequency of re-visits to each blog may vary. And then, there are the standard ones like Amit’s, Great Bong’s and Rahul’s. A preferred pastime of mine is blogroll hopping – clicking on a random blog from the blogroll and continuing the game till the cows come home.
Q. If you were to think of one question I should have asked you, what would it be? What would your answer be?
A. You should have asked me about my wife’s contribution to Ouchmytoe’s success. My answer would have been: “Nil. Zilch. Zero”. PS: If I acknowledge her contribution here, she might ask for her share of the Adsense payouts.
Thank you, Jammy! It will be fun to see if any of my future invitees are as funny as you!
Patrix from ‘Nerve Endings Firing Away’ is next up on ‘Desi Blogging Cafe’. Do walk in tomorrow for more virtual coffee and real conversation!
Have you read these ‘Desi Blogging Cafe’ interviews with your favorite bloggers: Jai Arjun Singh.
[…] Jammy’s first online interview. Find out what the liar has to say. Click Here […]