Confessions of a Teenage Twin

Not long ago, I did an interview for ‘Positive Parenting’ magazine for a feature on twins.

So here’s the Q & A and the featured article.

1. Growing up: What are some of the challenges that you face growing up as twins?

“wah, you two look so alike ah, I always cannot tell who is who ah, how to differentiate ah? Who is Tim, who is Jed?” Yet another aunty with the very common and torturous question directed towards the both of us.

As we both used to be dressed exactly from tip to toe, so that is among the challenges we have to face whenever we go out as twins. It’s not easy dealing with the whole wide world not being able to tell us apart accept for our own family.

And then finally one day, we grow up to be very different, from look to character wise, and then suddenly the world would have something new to hype about:

“Huh? You 2 twins ah? How come you two so different wan?”

Assumptions, people just assume all sorts of nonsense and that as twins we must be the same. We must go out together, have the same hobby, hang out with the same friends and we must see eye to eye on everything! People just assume we can’t have a different and separate life as a twin.

Finally, people never fail to stop comparing the both of us, Yes; I’m the smarter one or skinnier one, so what!!! :P

2. Personalities: Tell us how different/ similar the both of you are: In terms of interests, friends, studies, characteristics, etc.

As we grew older, our personalities seem to be more and more different. I remember that we used to sneak in to our primary school to play basketball, but now I have long abandon that sport and don’t seem to have interest in it anymore, but my twin still does.

We both have interest in art and craft since young, and till now that interest still remains our similarity. But both have quite different set of creative skills and we both excel differently.

As we both were together in the same class all the while in primary school, so we had the same friends and always hang out with the same bunch of friends. From Secondary school onwards, we were placed in different classes, so we hang out with different friends. And same goes with college; different college different bunch of friends.

We both excel in different areas. I’m more of the studious type and my brother is the total opposite, however we are now somehow “exchanging” career paths, as I am in the creative field and he in the engineering field.

People say we have the same voice and sometimes the same laughter but our characters are very different. How different? You tell me.

3. Twin rivalry: Does this happen to the both of you? Kindly elaborate.

There is definitely some spirit of rivalry in both of us. I remember competing to complete our home work while we were in primary school. Other than that, I can’t remember much of any intense rivalry between us.

I think there are pros and cons to the twin rivalry that goes on between us. I know what I’m good at individually and what he’s good at and that’s fine with me. We both have our individual strengths and we both excel in different areas.

4. Closeness: Do you see each other as best friends? (Doing things together, sharing secrets, etc.)

The only time I remember us being close was more than a decade ago when we can hardly remember anything. We used to quarrel and argue about a lot of things when we were kids, and now, we can’t see eye to eye on everything!

That’s the way we are for now, I’ve no idea when or how things will change.

5. Separation: How would you feel if you were separated from each other for a long period of time?

As we seem to be closer to our friends then to each other, I think there won’t be a problem for us being separated when we can’t seem to live under the same roof.

6. What’s the most wonderful thing of having a twin?

The wonderful thing is that we get to disguise as each other and fool the whole world! Just kidding, that is so LAME!!! By the way, that’s a very common suggestion by people who are in a bit to comfort me that being a twin is not that bad.

What is the one thing that celebrities and twins have in common? Well, they’re both famous! It’s just that twins are not born with wealth (I wish!).

You know those celebrity kids that just are famous for no reason other than being born into a famous parent. As for a twin, you have the fame just because people are intrigued by the fact that you are born only 9 minutes apart from the other and share the same birthday. Teachers including those who don’t teach us know we exist and who doesn’t realized there is a twin in their church?

People tend to remember us, as if we are the special human being with special “twin” ability. Sometimes when u introduce yourself and you tell people that you are a twin, their eyes will glow with intrigue and imagining another person who looks exactly like you. There aren’t too many twins around, so they feel excited whenever they meet one, and it will follow by a million questions about how you got or use your “twin” ability.

Well, I guess ‘with great power comes great responsibility’, so you see, using your “twin” ability to disguise as your other half is no good people! No no no good! So people! please don’t tell me to disguise as my other half.

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