It is often assumed that being a twin is like having a best friend by your side since birth and that your twin is someone very similar to you. I interviewed Alexandra and Natasha Dawson to find out what it is really like to be a twin and to dispel some of these myths.
Are you identical twins?
No, we are fraternal.
Do twins run in your family?
Yes, on our dad’s side. Our great-aunt has twins and, our grandad had twin brothers.
Are you close and do you like having a twin?
Alexandra Dawson: I would say that we are close. We are known to finish each other’s sentences and, luckily, we rarely argue. Having a twin means I always have someone that is supporting and looking out for me.
Natasha Dawson: I don’t know any different but, I can’t really fathom a life without her.
In what ways are you similar?
Alexandra: We both do a lot a sport such as cross country, swimming, ice skating and yoga. We also enjoy watching sport and watch Wimbledon together every summer.
Natasha: I don’t think we are that similar - we are like yin and yang, balancing each other out.
In what ways are you different?
Alexandra: We have very different tastes in music, food and television programmes. I especially dislike chocolate, but I would describe Natasha as an addict! I also can’t stand watching Grey’s Anatomy. Also, we have chosen very different A-levels reflecting our different academic abilities. Natasha is a particularly eloquent writer while I struggle with writing more than a few sentences.
Natasha: We are very different. Physically speaking, I have brown eyes and Alex has green eyes. I’m also an inch taller. This is usually how people tell us apart. Alex is also musically gifted playing the flute whereas I am tuneless, to say the least.
Are you competitive?
Alexandra: We have different interests meaning that it can be hard for us to be competitive with one another.
Natasha: Not with each other but with others. We are both different people with different strengths and weaknesses so we acknowledge that one of us is always going to be better than the other.
Do you dress the same?
Alexandra: We share a lot of our clothes but we style them differently. Natasha is more adventurous when it comes to fashion.
Natasha: I would say we have different styles, but that doesn’t stop me from raiding her wardrobe.
Have you ever switched places?
Alexandra: As we used to go to different schools, we were planning to swap places for the day, but I was too much of a coward to go through with it!
Natasha: No, it’s really upsetting actually. About two years ago we planned a day where we would switch schools and everything but Alex decided she didn’t want to do it.
