About me 28

I’m a nomad, constantly learning about the world and myself. I belong to nowhere, I belong everywhere. I have many identities, and I reject all of them.

Er, on a less arty note, I work as a technical writer, a job that I love. In my spare time, I do freelance writing, editing and photography. I dream of becoming an artist and try my best to lead a thoughtful, useful life.

My writing life changed after a Facebook note I wrote went viral and was picked up by The Hindu where it caused a bit of a stir. For about three years after that, I wrote a humour column for Deccan Chronicle/Asian Age — you can find those archived in the columns category of this site. I have also been published in Himal Mag, Nat Geo Traveller India, Nature InFocus and JLR Explore.

I’m currently working on writing more longform travel essays and personal essays.

You can contact me on my email below, cleverly masked to fool spambots (you can figure it out I’m sure):
suchi(dot)rags(at)gmail(dot)com

28 thoughts on “About me

  1. Reply Ganesh Jaygan Nov 29,2012 9:57 pm

    Hi Suchi

    I saw one of your pieces of art “Modesty of dress and Indian culture” and had a wonderful time and this made my day. Love you style and absolutely was in spilts with the comment about dilution of Coconut chutney. My name is Ganesh Jaygan, from Australia, working as an IT consultant for a major Telco. In my spare time I volunteer as a facilitator for a Hindu Cultural School for kids, lead an organisation that has language, culture and tradition of the Tamil people as its tenets and also as an Editor or a Tamil Maganzine (Tamil Murasu). Please do not google Tamil Murasu you will get now where. We are budding and are the only Indian run Tamil Paper in Australia (there are a few of Sri Lankan origin). This note is to seek your permission to re-print your articles in Tamil Murasu. Please let me know if you are fine with this idea. Thanks. We are not for profit and cannot pay you anything for this. Thanks and keep writing, you have been bookmarked.

  2. Reply Somu May 1,2013 8:20 am

    Hi Suchi, I have not known about your writing stint outside of BCL… Glad I came across this one 🙂 Will bookmark now.

  3. Reply indira mukhopadhyay Jun 23,2013 7:01 pm

    Hi Suchi, I read your articles in Deccan Chronicles and enjoy them very much. Today’s ‘Toilet Games’ made me laugh so much. I like your writing and your style. Good wishes for a very bright future. Regards.

  4. Reply indira mukhopadhyay Jun 23,2013 7:02 pm

    I wanted to share it on Facebook, but could not find it in DC online.

  5. Reply Govind Dayma Sep 17,2013 6:23 am

    Awesome thoughts !

  6. Reply Deepta Oct 2,2013 5:57 pm

    Hi Suchi,
    I stumbled upon your FB page & boy am I happy that I stumbled? Love your style of writing. I have a long way to go before I exhaust your posts..so In anticipation to read more of them, Thank you for sharing your writing & thoughts with us.
    Deepta.

  7. Reply Hemant Unhelkar Oct 13,2013 8:35 pm

    Hi Suchi,

    1. You are my type of writer
    2. I used to write in school and college
    3. There used to be writer R P Iyer in Freepress who along with Jug Suraiya, Bachi Karkera and Busy Bee whom I love very much.
    Thanks for making my day on board a ship miles away from Mumbai in Brazil.
    Keep it up

  8. Reply Subramanian Nov 10,2013 9:43 am

    Your Article on DC on what you Learnt about Tamil Serials is Good to Read.You missed Modern serials use Smartphones/Tablets and Successful People use them.Your Milton Casserole is Something so funny.There is always Idly Served if you had noticed.More Powerful women,More jewellery she will wear.One will always be sacrificing to EARN good name.

  9. Reply Tiger Nov 17,2013 3:31 pm

    Suchi Hi.

    My last post disappeared – like ‘The Gypsy Camp Vanishes into the Blue’ -without a trace.. !
    I have stumbled across your posts since you started in the DC & its affiliates. It has made many people very happy, I’m sure. May the force be with you. Keep up the good work ! I have till now been passive -when I felt I should have spread the word more on your Blog. That has now been corrected, somewhat. Enclosed below is the gist of what I sent out to friends & associates .. Hope you enjoy it.. as much as the pleasure you have given us all..

    Quote

    If you want to Guffaw at our foibles…

    For those who haven’t YET come across this very topical tongue -in – cheek Blog – try it out ! It now appears in some papers – occasionally.
    Sure to bring a smile to your face… !! Excellent sense of Humour. Read some of the back numbers & archives – of you are looking for laughs ! Hilarious ! And good insights ! The blog has been growing from strength to strength !
    Hilarious for anyone who has had ANY interaction with the Gulf phenomenon !! That and the mad world of Tam Bram relations .. and more… !!!

    Here it is …. enjoy….!

    https://suchiswriting.com

    Unquote

  10. Reply Haroon Shah Apr 1,2014 4:13 pm

    Dearest Suchi,Good Evening After Great Sunsets…my way of wishing to a Great Author Suchi//// Today i had read ur great Article in Newspaper//about
    Khemchand Academy, Chocolates, that green golden coins in green jars
    in the school canteen//your first birthday…..i love the way write
    suchi may god bless you with the Top Award in the world as a Author.
    This is my cherished desire…Amen..Pls respond to my comments pls Suchi
    This Message is from S.Haroon Shah..Chief Adviser for International Human
    Rights Organisation…Affiliated to United Nations.

  11. Reply Areevalacan M-Q'jox a Ka May 19,2014 12:19 am

    Hi,

    Good morning sis, I have read your articles on DC, it is witty, sweet and clean. Keep it up and congrats for the same. I want a good editor for my novel which is nearing next to last draft, which i am sure have grammatical mistakes.

    My novel is a five+ part series. Romance, revenge, supernatural. First one is half satire plus all of the above.

    I can mail you a few pages (230 page novel; Font size: 15; Font: times new roman) from it if that will help you decide.

    If you are willing, you can mail me or message me.

    My novel is good, if i could get a good editor i am hopeful of making it to bestsellers list.

    I am passionate and serious about my writing, sis, and doing that artistic thing, living on bread and pickles, unwashed 2 set of clothes, beard,…..the whole works.

    Hari

  12. Reply Anurag Jun 3,2014 7:20 am

    Hello Suchi!
    Hats off to your writeups! I just went too deep into thoughts.

    I just published one of your writeup with due credits on our page- The Logical Indian

    This isnt just another page on fb…scroll down our timeline and u will note our efforts.

    It would be an honour to work with you.
    Please keep sharing such beautiful stuffs with us. We would be honoured to publish that through our channel.
    Also if there’s anything we can do for you, please let us know,

    Regards,
    Anurag
    Co-Founder
    The Logical Indian

  13. Reply Shruthi Jun 9,2014 3:48 pm

    Dear Suchi

    I’m writing to you from The Alternative (www.thealternative.in), an online publication with a focus on sustainable living and social impact in India.

    I came across your blog and found your posts very interesting for our Opinion and Misc section (http://www.thealternative.in/?s=Misc, http://www.thealternative.in/?s=opinion). We would be happy to look at reposting some of your posts to begin with and subsequently publish original posts from you.

    With an alexa rank of 7088 and average 2 lakh hits every month, not to mention being the most read sustainability magazine in India, your original posts first published in The Alternative (www.thealternative.in) will help to gather maximum traffic back to your blog. All of this and an awesome chance to be a part of our writer engagement model that subsequently rewards its top writers a notable portfolio as an online journalist, a chance to travel, attend the biggest conferences in India and a commissioned series.

    Looking forward to hearing from you on how best we can work together! (Please write into us at contribute@thealternative.in)

    Kind Regards
    Shruthi

  14. Reply sanu das Aug 19,2014 3:22 am

    brewing trouble in todays DC was good read
    just saw you blog
    nice
    sanu das
    9940340023

  15. Reply sanu das Aug 19,2014 3:27 am

    brewing trouble in DC was a good read
    nice to read your blog
    my blog http://www.sanuyesudasan.in
    my fathers website http://www.yesudasan.info
    thanks
    sanu das chennai
    9940340023

  16. Reply Sanketh Y S Sep 14,2014 9:39 am

    Hi Suchi,

    I am writing from Libmyth,
    I was reading an article in DC and I got through your blog. It was just like speaking to a person, your writings carried away My thoughts! 🙂
    And,

    Libmyth is a digital collaborative community where you can read, write and publish your writings maybe in a short note or bundled expressions as a book. It’s designed for little stories that make your day better and manifestos that change the world. If you love to see word art, this is the right place for you.

    Anyone can accomplish the dream of publishing their writings, not just to share with their friends but to get started as a published writer. We enable them to publish anything you desire.

    When someone wants to publish his work, most of the publishers refuse to do so. Maybe because they don’t want to override things or just because he has no experience, even though his work is pretty good. We help you to get started by introducing your works to publishers.

    We are very small and just started. Hence, We need some your articles to be re-published and We will be glad if you can join Us onboard to guide Us further.

    Waiting for your esteemed mail as a reply!

    Thanks & Regards,
    Sanketh Y S
    Founder,
    Libmyth
    http://www.libmyth.com

  17. Reply The UnIndian type Jan 4,2015 6:02 pm

    Dear Suchi

    Thanks for the fresh thoughts that you bring out with so much humour Never knew Tambhrahms could be so funny. Wish you could write a bit more frequently. There’s so much happening around us now. People like you give the hope that this country can still make it somehow out of the mess it is in right now. Thanx again. Keep writing.

  18. Reply Pallipuram Feb 3,2015 5:11 am

    oh, in a society like India, hope you never run out of ideas my dear,best wishes for your writing.

  19. Reply Swati Nov 18,2015 3:19 am

    Hi Suchi, I’d like to explore a book with you on behalf of Penguin Random House. Please email me. Thanks.

  20. Reply Vaidya Shankar Nov 28,2015 10:15 am

    Hi! Suchi,

    Permit me to say that you indeed belong to that rare breed of writers who can make people laugh. Being a great fan of P.G.Wodehouse and Stephen Leacock, I know and mean what I say, having read some of your rib-crackers,ha ha.
    Now, madam, may I ask some advice from you- so well established in the business of writing?
    I dabble a little in free lance writing myself and also have a feebly,wobbly blog.
    Can you kindly tell- whenever time permits- how to popularize or publish my writings? I have given a sample work below.

    Donkey Business.

    While walking home, Sonny was suddenly aware of an uneasy feeling that someone was following him. He turned back to see but could not make out anything initially in the fading sunlight. When he paused boldly and had a second look, he was shocked and amazed to see a quadruped- a donkey to be precise- close at his heels. “Shoo! Scat!” He shouted, to no avail. The donkey seemed to have taken a fancy to him.

    Reaching his bachelor home quickly and bolting the door securely, Sonny then peeped out hopefully from his balcony, hoping to have dodged his new fan… but no, it was still there, looking dumbly up at him.

    His friends had a whale of a time, ribbing him about his new pal. “Must have seen a resemblance to its long lost brother, poor thing!” said Appu, rolling over in laughter.

    “I warned about this online chatting with strangers; see what he got!” said another.

    It went on like this in Sonny’s flat, but the faithful donkey refused to budge. Sonny was furious.

    “Are there no… er vet. Psychiatrists to examine this beast’s head?” he asked, which only increased their mirth. “Sonny wants a shrink to put his donkey friend on a couch!!” they shrieked in laughter.

    “You people are useless, I will go ask Venu,” said Sonny. “Venu! he is an ass himself,” guffawed his friends, as Sonny walked out, faithful donkey in tow.

    Like in the rhyme, wherever Sonny went, the ass was sure to go.

    Venu was more sympathetic. He listened carefully with his finger tips together, like a detective.
    “Since when did you notice this happening, this sudden show of affection of the quadruped?” asked Venu finally. “About two days back,” replied the much stalked Sonny.

    Like a local Sherlock Holmes, Venu then asked Sonny, “Now think very carefully-did you do anything new that day or maybe the previous day?”
    Sonny, after some thought, said, “Nothing special except that I started using a new perfume I had bought some time back”

    “That’s it!” exclaimed Venu in excitement, adding, “Ha ha ha!Your new scent is attractive to asses, it seems.”

    Though annoyed, Sonny was also glad that the problem had been identified. “What do I do now?” he asked.

    “Which friend of yours was teasing you most?” asked Venu, with a cunning look on his face.

    “David,” said Sonny.

    Laughing aloud, Venu said, “Ok, do as I tell you. Go home and have a good bath first,, and then…” he whispered something in Sonny’s ears conspiratorially. Both had a good laugh together.

    Next day, a small gathering consisting of Sonny, Venu and some selected friends was able to witness and enjoy a rare sight:

    An unsuspecting David, his full body smelling with the fragrance of Sonny’s perfume was walking on the street below, followed by an entire family of doting donkeys.
    —————————————————————————————————–

    • Reply Suchi Govindarajan Mar 6,2016 3:24 pm

      Thank you. High praise indeed!

      And nice to read a good story in the comments. 🙂 I’m sorry I don’t know much about publishing stories, to be honest. But I can tell you that Facebook is a good medium for publishing your writing. That’s really how I got started, when one of my Facebook notes became popular.

      There are also many short story competitions in India. You might want to google for those.

  21. Reply Vaidya Shankar Dec 14,2015 3:52 am

    Hi Suchi,
    It is written that my post dated 28/11/15 is ‘awaiting moderation’. It is already mid December and still it appears like that only.
    Since I haven’t posted any objectionable stuff, what do you advise me to do?
    Regds,
    Shankar

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