I was going to spend some time writing about the different kinds of street light fixtures I've seen in both Olongapo and at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, but decided instead to point out one of the most common street light fixtures in Olongapo. Look at the picture on the left.

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Before I tell you what I'm referring to when I say "my gilded cage in the Philippines", I need to tell you exactly what "gild" and the phrases "gilded cage" and "gild the lily" mean. You can click on the picture to get a larger view. The frame still needs to be repainted.

According to what I read in a couple of dictionaries, "gild" means to decorate the outside of something, usually unnecessarily. The phrase "gild the lily" (referring to the flower, of course) means adding ornamentation to something that already looks nice. Finally, "gilded cage" means a cage that's decorated and the cage is not necessarily to keep something in, but to keep something out.

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Before I begin, I'm warning you that this doesn't work for everyone and isn't recommended for most people. I've done it before, without wanting to, so I know what I'm doing in my case only.

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