Be CO2-ncerned... Be Very CO2ncerned!

I.D.e.a.s

Every now and then, creativity kicks in and my imagination starts running crazy ideas. Once, I thought about making a mini-JaBag (Jacket that converts to a bag) prototype since I noticed how puffy jackets seem to be a nuisance and takes up too much space when you're carrying it. But, I thought that this will probably require a big investment since you'll need to come up with your own new line of convertible jackets or outdoor apparel. Also, I was pretty sure that someone already came up with it. I looked it up and found this neat designer's website from Berlin - Dos Caras: http://myitthings.com/starx/Post/fashion/It_Thing/Convertible_jacket___bag/47724200720405831.htm

Now that's fancy! So, I decided to think about it economically. How about an accessory that has the same function but an add-on to your OWN jacket or bulky clothing? It can convert it to a bag or something functional when you're not wearing it. It'll be small, the size of a key-chain or a tiny coin purse, so that you'll have it with you anywhere and anytime you need it. It's also detachable that you can easily stick and remove it and use it with another jacket (e.g. detachable zipper, velcrow, button) but strong enough to hold the piece together. A good example of this application is this detachable magnetic strips product that I found, which you can use to temporarily shorten your pants ($30 at http://www.zakkerz.com/) by supporting its folds. The good thing about "detachables" is that you can build around them, too. They can come with other optional accessory (if you want to actually make more money of it) or they can come in a kit with a complimentary "pair" - one that you can easily attach or build in to your jacket. Well, it's exciting to think about it but that's as far as I want to talk about this idea at this point since it's still on my "future projects" list. I think I should look back on list and add my other ideas on this blog, such as my barcoded containers you can use in grocery stores to get items from food dispensers. The purpose of this is to stop generating unnecessary packaging and garbage from items we buy in the grocery store. We can bring our own container and the barcode label is something we print and used by the cashier to tare the container and weight the item in it. Other stuff that may come up in the future includes: wireless TV (no more cables and antennae, it'll be similar to how wireless network works), anti-EMF clothes, automatic paper mache maker, etc. There are couple of Tech / Innovation weblinks in my BlogRoll that you can check out and maybe that'll inspire you to come up with a more anti-global warming ideas.

As far as coming up with new, innovative products and ideas. I think that we should really come up with stuff that really works and benefits both the consumers and the environment. There are so much junk out there and only few are functional or useful. Some looks really great but are crappy and end up collecting dust in the garage. I'm a big fan of multi-functional, unique organizers that don't take up too much space, convertible and light products (from shoes to furniture), and the reuse-recycle idea (e.g. re-sewing or piecing together old clothes to design and make a new one or anything that you can definitely use - a stuffed toy, rag, quilt, accessories, scarf, tiny purses, art projects, etc.). For clothes, it's pretty much a matter of updating or reviving them back to the latest fashion. One time, I cut couple of inches off a shirt and added it to an old, shrunken shirt to add length to it. When I was in high-school, I dyed an old skirt, used old scarves as belt, and string together orphan buttons and beads to make a beaded curtain and to accessorize my dad's pillow.

The most exciting part of this is daring yourself to be creative. Just start snipping those old things, put some small holes, and run up old, colorful laces to piece them back to life! Kids always appreciate cute stuff and most of all, the time you spend with them. So, instead of buying them more useless stuff in Walmart, give them a project or work on one with them that can teach them to recycle. If you don't have the time, just make one and give it to them as a present (you can put a fake tag in it to make it look like you bought it, if you want).

Visit to the Yucatan: Quintana Roo, Mexico

Feb. is the best time for me to visit Mexico. Due to the back to back President's Day and Lincoln's Bday holiday, I was able to take off for the whole week using only 3 vacation days. On top of that, Cancun vacation packages are cheap! We booked flight and 3-nights through Expedia (total= $450/person). The other 3-nights of our stay were all walk-ins and although this month is supposedly peak season, finding bargain hotels was not a problem. We stayed at St. Clemente ($42/night) at Valladolid, which is right across the plaza! Then, at Playa del Carmen, we stayed at a Mar de Caribe ($35/night), which is couple of blocks from the shops, pier, and the beach! So, if you're traveling there on winter time, maybe you can just book your first night and book the other hotel nights as you go. You have a better chance of finding bargains stays with the help of a good travel book.

Direct flight will take you to Cancun in about 6 hrs but since we were on a budget, our flight was 9 hrs to and 12 hrs from Cancun. You can also fly to Meridia, which I heard is a beautiful city and then, maybe depart from Cancun back to US so you can travel across Quintana Roo (the name of the state, take note on your customs form). Renting a car is probably not a good idea because the toll fees are expensive and there are many toll areas, too. Gas may not be that expensive (about $1 per Liter) but rental + insurance are kind of costly. There's also the risk of having your windows break into and get your stuff stolen when unattended, if you're not careful. Taking the local bus is easier, cheap, and you get to sleep/rest along the way with a good A/C and brush up on your Spanish by watching some TV, too. We took the bus from Cancun airport to downtown, checked-in to our hotel, ate at the local plaza then, head out to Zona Hotelera. The R-1 bus takes you between downtown and Zona Hotelera. Make sure you ask the driver which way it's going because you might get into the bus that's heading back. Due to the past hurricanes that hit the island, the beachfront is not as great in some of the resorts. The hotel-resort lobbies are amazing and some even have really sophisticated and artistic designs, like Aqua. The top resorts, like Riu, have a lot of activities to offer like numerous endless pools, volleyball courts, huge JENGA, bars with underwater seating, some have hammocks and canopy beds - all by the beach area. The sands are really fine and white at Riu beachfront. Keep in mind that during winter, sun sets early and depending on which part of the island you're in, you'll probably start feeling the cold wind and the start losing the sun to the shade around 5PM. So, start hitting the beach early on winter. It's a great time to visit for those people who don't like extreme heat or humidity. As far as food, I'm not really into goat cheese and the local delicacies. Thank God that a lot of the restaurants cater to what non-locals look for as far as taste and variety and the price is not that bad either. It's anywhere from $4 to $8 and can be as expensive as $30 (for a really great dish). The exchange rate was $1 to ~ 10.45 pesos. The peso sign looks almost similar to a dollar sign that it confuses me at first. I took out some money from my CITI account from a Banamex ATM, which takes CITI card. The bank charged me 2% of what I take out (e.g.: $1.5 fee for $75) so it's not that bad, better than what they charge you here in US. The exchange is better from ATM withdrawal but with the 2% fee, the street rate comes to about the same.

The 2nd day, we visited Chichen Itza ($10/person). You don't really need to get a tour guide, which is more expensive. You can just get a good book that can guide you through the park and there are also infomation you can read in front of each ruin. The El Castillo, the group of thousand columns, and the ball court are my favorites and they're really marvelous. No wonder this place was named as one of the seven great wonders of the modern world. The more you learn about the Mayan culture the more your heart goes out to those who were sacrificed in that place. There was a cenote at one end of the park where one can see children and women's skulls if you swim under the water, which I don't think any one will. The water looks stagnant to start with. All these send chills down my spine when I use too much of my imagination. If you're planning to get souvenirs, BUY it from the local artisans that are selling their crafts INSIDE Chichen Itza. I had a hard time finding $1 souvenirs elsewhere. I was able to get couple of $1 souvenirs here (make sure you haggle) but I wish I bought more! I just didn't want to carry a lot of stuff with me while traveling.

The last bus to Valladolid from Chichen Itza is at 430PM so, we started heading out of the park around 4PM. We spent the night there and got some good grubs at Squimoz (next to the bus station). The locals at Valladolid have really round face and round eyes, very unique. There were a lot of women wearing an embroidered white dress, which I was planning to buy for my mom but forgot :( The next day, we rented a bike (8 pesos, ~$1 /hr) to check out Cenote Dzinup/Xkeken ($2.5/person). It was great! Lots of fishes (mostly black), stalagmites, and the water was not cold once you get in. We saw part of the cave and decided not to venture far since there's nobody around. Swimming to the darker corners to touch the stalagmites is a little creepy when there's not a lot of people around. Specially, after finding a school of dark fishes, which first looks like a moving dark hole under the clear water. And you think, having the place all to yourself is a great idea - not! People usually take a siesta around 1PM to 2PM so, it's hard to find an open restaurant or panaderia. That's usually a great time to take the bus to your next destination, in our case - Playa del Carmen. On the way to Playa del Carmen, we passed by Coba, Tulum, and some of the resorts that line up the Riviera Maya. Tulum have a great Mayan ruin right by the beach and a little touristy just like Playa del Carmen. In the afternoon, a lot of the locals who just got off work from the resorts take the bus home so, it's interesting to just watch them hop in and out of the bus.

Playa del Carmen have the best touristy area by the beach. The streets, shops, and restaurants are usually packed with tourists. The next day, we took the ferry to Cozumel ($11/person). They have the best pasteleria, Zermatt, and we bought a lot of pastries that lasted us the whole day. We rented a scooter ($20/day), which we rode across the accessible half of the island. We stopped by a beach club where we climbed this floating iceberg-like dome and slide down its side. It's pretty high and I was a little afraid of losing my grip and having a bad fall back to the salty sea water. They also have two trampolines that have a slippery bridge that you can cross. It was a great, lively beach area. We found an iguana sun bathing on the way to a restaurant but decided not to disturb him. I was able to find a bargain and paid $20 for a $35 hammock at a shop across Sr. Iguana's before heading back to the pier. Thank God we have a basket in the scooter to carry our stuff. Most of the shops at Cozumel are great too but pricey so always ask for at least half off the price they're asking.

If you're carrying a lot of stuff, you can rent a locker (pretty spacious) back at the pier at Playa del Carmen, which is a little pricey ($10/day) or walk down to the bus station, which is close by and rent their locker instead ($5/day). We have to check out by noon at Mar de Caribe so, we put our backpacks and my bag of laundry at one of the $5/day lockers they have at the bus station. They open at 10AM and they give you a token, which means that once you close it, you can't open it again unless it's time for you to take your stuff out. Else, you need to pay again. Then, we took a bus to Puerto Morelos (~ 30 mins. north of Playa del Carmen), shared a cab (paid a $1 ) to the town from the highway, and paid $25/person for a 2-hr snorkling that includes equipment, park fee, and a boat that takes you to the coral reefs. The reefs are well-preserved and well-taken care of. The fishes have are sooo colorful and each of them have their own character and personality. There are a lot of schools of fishes that ride the waves and they're just fun to see! The last part of the trip was to check out an underwater cenote or sinkhole. It looks okay but I don't think I'll go in there. Maybe that's where the aliens hide* Puerto Morelos also have the best empanadas at Los Gauchos and horchatas we've ever tried. The local artisan shops are also great and it's right around the corner and near the town plaza. We took a cab ($5) to Croco Cun Zoo ($20/person) where you have a tour guide that lets you hold a small crocodile, a snake, iguana, and get a kiss from parrot. You also get to feed some deers and wild monkeys (Ebola Alert!). I wasn't able to spend more time observing the crocodiles but it was fun! We have to take a local bus back to Playa del Carmen and the bus was kind of old to be speeding through the freeway and doing sharp turns but we got back in one piece!

After we took our stuff from the locker, we hop in to another bus back to Cancun, where we spent our last day hotel-hoping, checking out flea markets (Coral Negro) and other shops. We attended a local mass at Cristo El Rey, right across the downtown plaza, and I had a big headache trying to understand with my limited Spanish. One of my goals is to at least learn the Spanish prayer, "Our Father". The plaza was a great place to be, specially on Sundays, where locals hang out and watch shows or just chill and let their kids loose. I wish our parks and open areas here in US can be as nice and filled with people like their plaza. Overall, it was a great trip! If you feel like checking out a well-put together adventure tour, you can check out the Xcaret or Xe'hal tour packages they offer almost anywhere. They're both huge resorts that offers various activities like Jungle Tours, Cultural Shows, snorkling, swimming with the dolphins, visiting Mayan ruins, and petting some exotic animals.

2008 Year of the Rat: SF Chinese NY Parade, Gung Hay Fat Choy!

February feels like another New Year. I don't know what it is with this month but it's usually the time of the year when I drill my head really hard to brainstorm on what to do different the coming year. Hopefully, I'll be more focused and relaxed this year. It bothers me how much time and energy I put into unnecessary things: budgeting to save a penny or two (which leads to excessive scavenger hunt for bargains), getting too organized, starting ideas that leads to nowhere (at least for now), over-analyzing things, and constantly looking things up as far as investments, real estate, career paths, programs, etc. I think I should just focus on saving money for now and not get too worked up with the stock market or how I should go after foreclosed or rental properties. I think that people should really invest in their own happiness, spiritual and personal growth, health, career, friends and family. Everything else should comes second. Easy to say - hard to do but worth the try. A friend emailed me some inspirational quotes, which I think I should follow this year:

A sharp tongue can cut my own throat.

If I want my dreams to come true, I must not oversleep.

Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends is to ... B1.

The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.

The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.

One thing I can give and still keep is my word.

I lie the loudest when I lie to myself.

If I lack the courage to start, I am finished!

One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless "I" do.

Mind is like a parachute... it functions only when open.

The Ten Commandments are not a multiple choice.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime. It is never too late to become what you might have been. Life is like a sentence. You can always start a meaningful one.

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back.

Things to Remember:

Tech Museum in San Jose and City Beach in Fremont

I checked out the Tech Museum in San Jose and it's amazing how many interactive stuff they have out there. They also have lots of cool gadgets in the gift shop. I got a glow-in-the-dark constellation T-shirt with Einstein's face on it. Afterwards, we hanged out in Santana Row and walked the Rosicrucian garden. Then, we had dinner at CityBeach and spent the rest of the night playing a floor chess, shooting pool, indoor rockclimbing, volleyball, basketball, boche ball, and other fun stuff they have out there. This is definitely one of my favorite place in Fremont.

the Other Way

Last Sunday, I was listening to a song called "the Other Way". It reminds me of a saying that goes, "Don't look back, you're not going that way". It's true how painful memories linger and still affect and get the best of a person every now and then. It's mostly inner fears, maybe fear to make the same mistake again or just from over-analying things, which spiral into something ridiculous and makes you want to run at the first sign of trouble.

Yesterday, I wrote and delivered a Eulogy for our deceased FASEA president Maria Padua Fontanilla. It's funny how we share the same middle name. I thought that it will be hard to write a eulogy for someone I do not know that well. But, after hearing everyone else's Eulogy, I was glad that I had a chance to tell the world how good she is. I talked to some of her close friends while writing the Eulogy and that's how I learned that she was such a kind and generous woman who have helped many. I also realized how short and fragile life is and how we can be immortal through the memories we leave behind. When we do good to others, they will never forget that and at the same time, you please God for living your life according to His will. It's nice to have an "assurance" that whatever it is that's waiting for us afterlife, it will be a good one... Whether you call it Karma or Reincarnation, I know that every good things that we do will be rewarded both here on Earth and in Heaven.

Rough November

Last week, I was at my friend's house in dowtown San Jose after watching Mason Jennings at the Blank Club. Then, Sunday morning, I was at Carmel and attended a mass at Mission San Carlos (the fourth Mission we've visited). Carmel-by-the-sea reminds me of one of Thomas Kinkade's paintings. I love the Cyprus trees, the tide pools, and the whole scenery at the 17-mile drive to Pacific Grove. The light house, Monarch Butterflies' Sanctuary, and the Lover's Point at Pacific Grove was awesome. Then, I had dinner at a sports-diner place called Britanica Arms in Monterey after walking the downtown shops and areas and checking out the Fisherman's Wharf. It was foggy and misty that night. I remember hearing the sea lions and the yachts but not really seeing them since even the lights are blurry from a distant.

This week has been a little rough for me. Our FASEA (http://www.geocities.com/jptablante/FASEA.html) president died early this week and I was not emotionally ready when it all happened. Then, my bike got stolen that night. Thursday, I got toxin-poisoning from a cold can of coffee that I had for lunch. It's so ironic how something that you like so much (ex: coffee) can hurt you real bad. I felt alone that night while I was in pain and having a fever. Can't call my mom because I don't want to worry her. My dad dropped by but he can't stay because of my step-mom. It's amazing how I was able to pull myself together the next day to go to work. Thank God I started throwing up that morning, and ofcourse, it's the coffee I saw and smelled in the puke. I threw up on a biohazard bag in one of the labs where no one is around to hear me. The third time I threw up was after the lunch time FASEA meeting and I think that did it. I still feel weak that Friday night but I thought that I owe it to myself to go out with some friends. Unfortunately, I didn't like the new crowd they brought but overall, it was a fun night.

Today, I went to Napa and Sonoma with couple of my friends. It was a little misty and foggy in the morning but it was so perfect, a much needed retreat. It felt like a 6-hour dawn. I was able to clear my head and feel strong. It's nice to breathe some fresh air at Napa. I wish I can take it home with me. On our way back, we stopped by Pinoy Pinay at Vallejo and met Jeffrey Quizon, Filipino celebrity and son of famous comedian, Dolphy.

the END: Exotic Newcastle Disease virus (in human: lovelife)

I went to Bayanihan last Saturday and it was very timely to meet and hear from different organizations that are trying to help or make a difference in the community, especially in third world countries like the Philippines. It gets me thinking on why I should stop paying attention to heartaches and headaches from relationships and pour the love I have to give to those who really needs it. I'm really interested in the Gawad-Kalinga (Give Care) program, where you can volunteer your time to build homes for the poor and homeless. The communities they've built in the past are remarkable and they really changed the lives of many and gave people new hope and a new beginning.

Pinnacles National Monument: Paicenes, CA - April 2007

Sometime in April 2007, I went to check out the Talus Caves in Pinnacles National Monument at Paicines, CA. First stop was at a small, little town in Hollister to try to find San Andreas fault lines, which runs through that town. Didn't find any major ones and it's hard to tell the regular street pavement cracks from the earthquake cracks. One of the locals pointed us over to San Juan Bautista Mission to view the fault lines, which I visited on the way back from Pinnacles National Park. The park was amazing. I had to stoop down on my knees and crawl every now and then because the rocky caves and dark stairs are a little narrow at times. At the end of the cave is a beautiful lake where you can enjoy more view of the rock formations. The weather that day was really nice. I had a chance to hike the summit to get a glimpse of the Condors. They're so magnificent.

After visiting San Juan Bautista Mission, I stopped by one of my favorite places in San Jose - the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. Across the street is the Winchester Mystery House, which happened to be close for the day. It was fun people watching and checking out the shops and cafes at the Santana Row. Awesome!

Finding San Andrea's Fault

ImpRoV Show

I was looking up for the "Best Dessert" list at the Guardian when I stumble upon the "Best First Date Show" and found out that there's an improv show Friday night at Fort Mason. I've been there couple of times to watch Word for Word or do crabbing at night with some friends. I got there early so, I had a chance to walk around and check out the sunset view of the Golden Gate bridge. They have several things going on that night, like the Wisdom Art Exhibit. The Green Restaurant have an awesome ambience, perfect place to dine if you want to catch a good view of the sunset and the Golden Gate Bridge. The improv show (improv.org) is called Spontaneous Broadway. They ask the audience to write down a title of an unwritten song. Then, they come up with a musical for that song. For example, someone wrote down Layover Sex and then, they come up with a musical called Flight Attendant. After about 10 songs, the audience were asked to vote for their favorite musical by 'investing' or writing the name of that musical on a fake check and putting a fake dollar amount on it. Then, they show the whole act. Flight Attendant won, of course. It was hilarious. I was laughing at least 75% of the time. It was a great show for $12/person. Awesome!

Grand Canyon / Skywalk trip plan for October

It's kind of weird how I met at least three people with the same birth date as me in the same year: Claire, Claudia, and Jasmine's baby. Anyway, the trip to Grand Canyon was awesome! Check out pictures I've taken at (http://www.friendster.com/jocelyn1979). I flew to Las Vegas on a Saturday (~1 hr) flight and spend the day in Vegas. I had to go on the New York New York Manhattan rollercoaster first thing in the morning because they're only open until noon on Saturdays. It was great! It was $12/ride but got a $4 off coupon and it was worth it. The ride was long enough and had at least two loops and couple of drops. I liked it a LOT! The rides at the Stratosphere's (X Scream and couple of others) are kind of expensive for me plus you have to pay to get up the tower, where they have the rides. Checked out the Bellagio's water show, watched the top-of-the-hour show at Caesar's palace, GameWorks, the new Wynn hotel, Madame Toussand's wax museum, Rainforest, etc. At night, there's the Excalibur's outdoor Pirate show. I was hoping we'll get to check out 55th floor's Ghostbar at Palms hotel and see Las Vegas' panoramic view at night but, didn't have the time. The girls at Coyote Ugly @ NY NY are hot, hot hot!

Next day, we stop by Hoover Dam on our way to West of Grand Canyon (~3 hrs drive). There's a 14-mile dirt road that we had to drive to get to Skywalk. We paid $75 for the tour package that includes walking the Skywalk (no cameras allowed), couple of shows, and a traditional meal. I think it's kinda expensive but, oh well. South Rim was ~ 5 hrs from West GC. We campled at Angel's Bright campground and hiked the Angel's Bright trail the following day. Unfortunately, we were not able to secure the campsite nor got a backcountry permit to camp on one of the campsites by the Colorado River so we have to do a roundtrip that same day. We had a good view of the river at Plateau Point but we didn't make it all the way to the river, maybe next time.

iFLy @ iflysfbay.com ~ Union City, CA

Awesome Saturday! I've always wanted to skydive but, it's just too expensive. $185 is the cheapest I can find and it's normally between $250-300. And all you get is a 60-90 seconds drop and about 20 minutes air drift after you put up the parachute. I figured that it's better to first try ifly (indoor skydiving) just to see how it feels and maybe learn a thing or two before doing the real thing. And I was right, keeping yourself stable and well coordinated is not as easy as it looks. I can't keep myself in the middle of the wind tunnel. I was trying to hold the position together and balanced but there's just not enough time to make it work. I got my hands even but I can't see if my feet are even since I have to keep my chin up and my back arch. The wind is just pushing me everywhere and it's hard to maneuver when I'm wobbling and my feet and arms are not working together. Man, I wonder how it feels to be that stable. Overall, it was a great experience though. I met couple of skydivers who also work at Byron skydiving, which I've been eyeing for the last few months. They have a certification course that cost about $1500 but, you get to be a skydiving pro. It's a set of 8 programs. Then, once you're certified, each jump will cost between $20-40 depending on elevation. So, yeah, this can be an expensive hobby but, I think there's a way on cutting down the cost with a good network of people. Also, there's this man I met from Napa, Nerio, who is offering a pilot mentorship program (just have to share jetfuel cost) and maybe he can give me a cheaper lift someday...

Rockclimbing at Mt. Diablo with the nieces

By the summit and at the Rock City in Mt. Diablo, there are places where you can take the children to try out some outdoor rockclimbing. They enjoyed it a lot and the summit has a great 360 view of the eastbay.

Autentica Comida Oaxaquena

After a Karaoke night at the Korean Town in downtown, LA we ate at the Restaurante Guelaguetza @ Normandie and 11th St.. Great ambiance and music. Their mole is to die for.

Filipino Town 5K Run, downtown LA

Bride at D Street

Santa Barbara - Old Spanish Days Fiesta

Pismo Beach on the way to Santa Barbara

It's in Giving that we Receive

When I was at UC Davis, I joined a couple of the Fil-Am groups: Pilipino Americans in Science and Engineering (PASE) and Filipino Association for Health Careers (FAHC). My emailbox is often cluttered up with newsletters and announcements. I'm always excited to check them out. But, I didn't stay with FAHC that long... must be their email greetings ~ "Welcome back to the Fall Quarter, FAHC'ers!" *uhhH. What did you call me?!#@!
I enjoyed the community service, the cultural nights, the booths we put up for campus events, etc. But, I've always felt that I'm not doing enough. I admire those people who really make an impact and raise awareness in the community. When I joined FASEA, I had a chance to meet some people who make real effort to be involved and to make a difference. It's nice to be reminded every now and then that every small thing counts. Charity is not just about giving money. There is so much that we can give or share ~ our smiles, our compassion, our understanding, our time... our knowledge, our skills, our heart... A troubled kid can use a simple hug and just a little of your time to listen to them talk. Sometimes, when I think about things that are wrong in this world, I become overwhelmed, feel discouraged, and I start to think about passing that responsibility of helping others to those who are more able ~ the rich, the famous, the powerful, the missionaries. But, how if they'll feel the same way? So, as Nike puts it, "Just Do It!" Besides, why not do good deeds when you benefit from it yourself. I remember how Phoebe in the TV show "Friends" actually regards giving as a selfish act because it's in giving that you find happiness, something that is priceless and not that easy to have (at least for some people). Also, at the end of the day, it's nice to think that you (at least tried) to do something good and that someone out there is thanking God for bringing you into their life.
A sight of good deed can be a contagious chain of reaction that inspires people to give and do more for others. Do you remember the movie Pay it Forward? How about the Liberty Mutual TV commercial ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBKJ28QZTWE )? It's a simple accounting... every positive thing that you put up there can compound into something bigger. There's already too much negativities in this world, it's time that we balance those with a good heart.