Monday, December 5, 2011

Chinese Characters Queen

Another fascination of mine is Chinese characters. I'm toying with a game design idea to help teach beginning characters to people learning Chinese as a second language, and I recently completed a site that shows how the game would work. You can take a look here for now; I'll change that link to a more permanent one sometime closer to the New Year.

I'm particularly proud of the pixel-happy graphics that I used for the site. I've been a computer nerd for quite awhile now, but that was one facet of computers that I hadn't ever taken seriously before. Learning how to mock up quick graphics like the one below was a lot of fun for me.

A Great Slice

I recently ran across another gem in downtown SLC. I didn't expect to lose interest in The Pie so soon, but Pie Hole might have caught me.

Located on State Street just a couple of blocks from the SLC Library Trax station, Pie Hole serves up a more New York-styled slice than you're likely to find anywhere else in Utah. Every day, they offer several stalwarts (potato bacon is my personal favorite) and a few different selections from their massively varied menu. I've passed by on three separate days now, and I haven't seen a repeated special yet, and I've also seen several new flavors that aren't listed on the menu.



The pizza is prepared in advance and then reheated in the oven after you order, giving the crust a marvelous crisp texture. The slices are very thin, so you can fold them in half to finish off the slice.

Another great thing about the place is their hours. They stay open until 3AM, which isn't an option I need too often, but when I do, it's nice to have a choice other than Beto's.

If you're downtown and you need something hot and of dubious nutritional value, I heartily recommend giving Pie Hole a shot.