From 36d1911febcec6e6d99f6f9d2e1f39329fb1cd5f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Pablo Martin <pablo.martin@superhog.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:46:21 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] article main body

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             <h2 id="writings-header">Writings</h2>
             <p>Sometimes I like to jot down ideas and drop them here.</p>
             <ul>
+                <li>
+                    <a href="writings/dont-hide-it-make-it-beautiful.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Don't hide it,
+                        make it beautiful</a>
+                </li>
                 <li>
                     <a href="writings/the-roi-of-toilets.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The ROI of
                         toilets</a>
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+<!DOCTYPE HTML>
+<html>
+
+<head>
+    <title>Pablo here</title>
+    <meta charset="utf-8">
+    <meta viewport="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../styles.css">
+</head>
+
+
+<body>
+    <main>
+        <h1>
+            Hi, Pablo here
+        </h1>
+        <p><a href="../index.html">back to home</a></p>
+        <hr>
+        <section>
+            <h2>Don't hide it, make it beautiful</h2>
+            <p>I'm currently living in a flat, and my internet connection comes in through my living room. That's where
+                my home router is placed. However, my main workspace is not in my living room but in my working room,
+                which is a few meters away. I would love to have a wired internet connection, but unfortunately, with
+                the router being so far away, setting it up would require running a lot of cable through the walls and
+                ceilings. It would be a complicated route, and while it would eventually reach my desk, it would also
+                make my flat look ugly.
+
+                One fundamental and unavoidable reason I don't do this is aesthetics. My partner is very conscious about
+                keeping our home visually pleasing. I care too, though she probably values aesthetics even more than I
+                do. She likely doesn't see an internet connection as essential as I do. So, for now, I have to rely on
+                Wi-Fi to connect from my workspace to the home router.
+
+                When I was on holiday in Thailand a few years ago, I noticed that Thai homes are far more practical than
+                European ones in such matters. In Thailand, plumbing, electrical systems, and other maintenance-required
+                installations are typically very visible—just out there on the wall. They don't hide these things behind
+                fake walls or ceilings. I believe they do this because they highly value the ability to access and work
+                on their home's systems themselves. Many Thai people build and maintain their own homes, so they leave
+                everything exposed for easy access.
+
+                I sometimes envy this approach. I don't think they do it for aesthetic reasons but out of necessity.
+                Still, when I saw a Thai homeowner fixing their plumbing outside their house, I thought, Damn, you're so
+                in control of your home. If something bad happens—like a fallen tree damaging the plumbing—they can fix
+                it themselves. Meanwhile, if that happened to me, I wouldn't even know where to start. I don't even know
+                where my plumbing is because it's all hidden behind walls.
+
+                That makes me wonder: Is there a way to make these essential systems both accessible and aesthetically
+                pleasing? Could we have the convenience of exposed infrastructure without it looking ugly? I believe we
+                can.
+
+                I find the problem is that we have decided certain things—plumbing, electrical wiring, visible
+                infrastructure—are inherently ugly. But they don't have to be. Some household items, like lamps, must be
+                visible. Since they can't be hidden, we put effort into making them look good. We choose stylish designs
+                that complement our home's aesthetics. Why can't we do the same for cables and pipes?
+
+                Imagine if all the wiring in your home was encased in beautifully braided, colorful threads, arranged in
+                elegant geometric patterns. The connections, junction boxes, and fittings could be crafted from
+                high-quality materials with artistic designs. Wouldn't that be nice?
+
+                Now, you might think I'm crazy—that these things are just ugly by nature. But they're not. In fact, many
+                aspects of modern design have become uglier over time, and we've just accepted it.
+
+                Consider street lamps. In most cities today, they are dull, industrial-looking poles—rusty, uninspired,
+                and purely functional. Yet, in older parts of my city, we still have beautiful, ornate lamp posts from
+                over a hundred years ago. They were designed with care, meant to serve a purpose, to be visually
+                appealing, and to last ages. Take a look:
+
+                pics here
+
+                The same goes for train stations. Modern stations are bleak, sterile spaces—metal, plastic, and harsh
+                lighting. They resemble hospital emergency rooms. But look at the older ones, like this one.
+                Those stations are masterpieces, designed like grand halls with chandeliers and intricate details.
+
+                pics here
+
+                Hospitals are another example. Most modern hospitals have the same white, cold, spaceship-like
+                aesthetic. While cleanliness is important, there's no reason they have to be so uninviting. In my city,
+                there's a hospital built over a hundred years ago that's so beautiful people visit it as a tourist
+                attraction. On the other hand, the hospitals I visit personally are plain depressing, soviet style
+                atrocities.
+
+                pics Here
+
+                I think we can bring things back, if we care enough.
+
+                Look at computers. Most office desktop cases are dull, gray boxes—uninspired and purely functional.
+                Naturally, many of them end up buried inside desks, or if they are small enough, simply hidden behind
+                the screen on a VESA mount. But gamers, who deeply care about their PCs, go the extra mile to make their
+                setups look amazing. They invest in custom cases, LED lighting, and stylish cooling systems. They turn
+                their computers into art. They are testament to the fact that we can make practical things also be 
+                beautiful if we choose to.
+
+                If we put the same effort into our homes, we wouldn't need to hide cables and pipes. We could proudly
+                display them as part of our interior design. Infrastructure could be both functional and beautiful,
+                giving us accessibility without sacrificing aesthetics. 
+
+                I guess the take-away is... Don't hide it. Instead, make it beautiful.
+            </p>
+            <hr>
+            <p><a href="../index.html">back to home</a></p>
+        </section>
+    </main>
+
+</body>
+
+</html>
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