you look like each other.

Once, two of my ex-colleagues were sitting side by side discussing some matters. One was short, bald, and had a pot belly. The other was short, bald and had a pot belly.

Suddenly, out of the blue, this lady passing by their table excitedly exclaimed, "Oh my god, the both of you look like twins!" The short, bald and pot belly man looked at the other and what assaulted both their eyes were a short, bald and pot belly man. Obviously, the both of them weren't pleased with what they saw.

The point of my article is that unless both parties are equal on the Looks-O-Meter in a positive way, it is simply RUDE to point out that two individuals come from the same gene pool.

You don't want to accidentally offend anyone, and you don't want to create a stiff, awkward moment whereby both parties proceed to stare at each other and think inwardly, "You mean I have a car crash for a face?!" - creating a stilted silence so sharp you can slice the air with it.

And, of course, the one to bear the ultimate brunt of all the displeasure is the person who made the seemingly innocuous, yet potentially offensive statement.

Also, if you are the receiving party, what is the correct reply? If you remain silent, it's as though you acquiesce. On the other hand, your silence may also be misinterpreted as resentment.

However, if I were to immediately protest, "No! No! We don't look alike in any way at all!" the person may feel offended. "Why? No good to look like me meh?"

When I find myself immersed in such a sticky situation, I don't know how to entangle myself from the bloody mess. My usual response is to remain silent, because I am quietly accessing the other party's looks, before I decide to be flattered or offended. However, my main concern is whether or not the other party is offended. After all, no one wants to be associated with a fat person. (yes, I'm talking about myself.)

Telling someone that he or she is a mirror image of an equally unflattering human species is plain disrespectful. You might as well tell the person straight in the face, "Hey, you know what? Your face reminds me a little of Ugly Betty."

Anyway, this reminds me about the age-guessing game that we women torture each other with. Too young, and people think you are sucking up to them through chicanery. Too old, and people might nurse a long time grudge towards you.

Once, an ex-colleague asked me to guess her age. At first, I declined to reply, but she pressurized me for an answer. For the record, I thought she looks really mature (old) for someone her age. I wanted to guess 30, but finally let out a meek, "29?" To which, she splattered out that she was ONLY 27, thank you very much, and did she really look that old, no it can't be, you have really bad estimation - pauses to look at mirror and turns to fellow colleagues - do I really look that old? She said I look 29, I'm only 27, haiyo.. (colleagues re-assure her that she doesn't look that old) - gives me a distasteful look - how can I look 29...so close to 30...I'm only 27 years old, you know.

"For God's damn sake!" I wanted to scream, "It's only a two years difference!"

Perhaps, my problem is that I usually judge the person by their face first, and maybe a little of their history, and then I subtract the number by one to three, not too much, because I do not want to come across as too contrived.

Just like no one needs to know they look old, no one needs to know that they came out on the wrong side of the gene pool. Chances are, unless your name is Steven Lim who is exceptionally delusional about his own looks (he gave himself a 10 when a reporter asked him to gauge how handsome he thought he was from a rating of 1 to 10), otherwise you probably already have a clear idea of what you look like without someone else's interference.

It doesn't matter if you are a celebrity. Because, very often, celebrities are good-looking people. And, to associate a celeb to another celeb is the highest form of compliment. Unless one is the younger version of a much older celebrity. Once, a young starlet went on a variety program, and the host remarked that she bore a certain resemblence to an 80's star. The woman in question was old, wrinkled and a grandmother. Obviously, the starlet wasn't pleased, and she pursued her lips before deciding to self-compliment, 'It's okay! She (the 80's star) is very pretty too!" In her younger days, that is.

As for my two colleagues, there was a very, very long pregnant pause where the two men just stared at each other awkwardly. Not catching the cue, the lady laughed and exclaimed with with her trademark high octave pitch, 'No kidding man! Have you ever realized it? The both of you look so much like twins!"