Seeing double: UAE’s twins and triplets meet

A stroll down Safa Park over the weekend threw up a rather, unreal visual treat.  I was seeing in doubles - and even triples - and this, despite being sober and boasting perfect vision.

Needless to say, the first-ever gathering of multiples, hosted by local group X2, was a packed, fun day in the sun.

The massive turn-out of twins and triplets, in all age-groups and sizes, sporting identical faces, hairstyles and even outfits, was a unique celebration.

But, apart from the most obvious “least-alike and most-alike” twins contest, the event steered away from highlighting the clichés.

Sprawled across a large section of Safa Park, the hosts – Nathalie Attar and Suman Manning – ensured they put something up for everyone.  Stalls, housing everything from nurseries, face-painting artists, baby-safety gadgets, baby clothes and memorabilia, to the odd-dress stores for the ladies, lined the area, with colourful kids’ play areas spotted at many corners.

“It (the event) first started out as a picnic in the park. Then it grew into this huge concept, in line with similar events that are popular across the world. Some that run into their 15th year, so we thought it was time we started one in the UAE,” explained Nathalie.

Apart from being an enjoyable day in the park, it also posed an opportunity for young twins to come to terms with their uniqueness. “I wanted them to know that there are other twins. They are more aware now and this outing will help them,” said Andrea, mother of twin Croatian boys Andy and Mark.

And unlike the stereotype, they don’t dress alike, a resolution that their mother decided on. “And, to avoid any mix-up in school, the boys in uniforms sport shoes in different shades,” she added.

Aged 4 and born 2 minutes apart, the boys are identical in appearance, but dissimilar in personality - an observation other twins broadcasted as well.  “One’s always smiling, while the other is more critical,” elaborated Ines, mother of German 10-month-old twins Lia and Lua.

Even 32-year-old Indian-born US citizens Nabil and Samir Siddiqui, who play twin concept to a tee: working in dad’s motoring company, wearing the same clothes (at least most of the time), getting their hair cut by the same barber, and even picking up the same pair of jeans while on separate shopping trips, claimed they did differ. “Our handwriting is different,” revealed Nabil.

While 28-year-old bespectacled Syrian twins Bassam and Basel took small steps, like dressing differently, to avoid confusion, their matching bloodline often throws up unplanned cancellation of airline tickets, because “the systems don’t accept tickets for two passengers with the exact same detail”.

That minor glitch aside, girl twins cashed in on having one wardrobe. “We don’t buy anything in twos, and end up sharing our clothes,” quipped UAE’s 28-year-old twins Ola and Abeer Allouz.

Even 30-year-old Russians Lyudmila and Evgenia Kazantsera, who were born 5 minutes apart, claimed they might attempt to live fiercely independent lives - one’s a painter, the other a dancer – but they are bound by an inexplicable connection. “One day I was painting at my place, and when I went to her’s, she was painting as well,” said Lyudmila.

“It’s like working in a team, ever since we were born,” said Ola, elaborating, “Once I was thinking of this song, and suddenly Abeer started to sing it.”

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