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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