Augustus Chang - Online Memorial Website

Every few months, it seems like something comes up to remind me of Gus.  A memorial date, a random picture, an old email I come across.  It's almost just like him to not let me forget that he's around every once in a while.  This month, I found a card...A CARD.  A THANK YOU card, no less!  I never even knew that Gus wrote cards!...this one must date back around ten years ago...

 

"Dear Lil, We both know that in the past I have not really been too friendly with you.  My first impression of you was that you were not a nice person.  I had this strange resentment against you. (I have no idea why).  Well after you helped me clean up that night, I could see that I was completely wrong about you, I saw that you were a really nice person.  Maybe we can be friends and get to know each other better.  Thanx for everything.  I really appreciate it.  Augustus Chang"

 

Thanks for always comin' around every so often to check on me... even if it's in the strangest ways.

I remember when Gus used to kick me out of his room whenever he needed to get money out of his secret stash.  How he would never let us touch his bed, cheated at tekken, carried that stupid cigarette case, the skull shirts, the worm scar, first house party in high school, driving around in Tony's car without a license, having to sit and watch him eat that bean mess before every movie, working out, 3 on 3 bball tourney champs, stealing his chicken sandwiches, driving around LA trying to convince people to buy us drinks, when, summer nights stranded at Venice beach, all the wrestling matches, his notorious email about the French girl, of course the bellagio, "VEGAS BABY!", convincing me that gumballs were so much better than skittles, him always recommending "great" restaurants which always happened to be the ones with his candy machines, how he used to rig his candy machines to give out 3 runts for a quarter, sleeping on his floor with no blanket or pillow, sitting in his car for 5 hours as he went door to door selling candy machines, water fights at Denny's, getting kicked out of countless places, getting in so many screaming matches, always knowing that we would be there for each other no matter what, and that nothing came before friendship.  That we were all in this rat race but some things were just more important.  I'm grateful that everytime I get stressed out or anxious, one of those memories slides into my mind and I remember what really makes people happy. 

"The Augustus Chang Experience"

 

One of the many vivid memories of the "one more reason why you should sign up with Excel Communications."

 

GUS: "So I've got this incredible phone plan that I'm only offering to my CLOSEST friends..."

 

ME: "What is it Gus?"

 

GUS: "It's for long distance, it's only 7 cents a minute."

 

ME: "But I've already have a good deal on my long distance, it's only 5 cents/minute."

 

GUS: "Ok... BUT.  Did you know that the monthly fee is only $8.50"

 

ME: "But my monthly fee now is only $7.99."

 

GUS: "What about your local calls?"

 

ME: "It's super cheap."

 

GUS: "Ah see... I bet you mine is cheaper."

 

ME: "How much is yours?"

 

GUS: "NO... how much is YOURS?"

 

ME: "It's only 3 cents a minute."

 

GUS: "Oh.  Are you SURE? You probably remembered wrong."

 

ME: "No, it is what it is."

 

GUS: "LOOK-- how long have we known each other?  How deep does our friendship go?  Are we not always there for each other?"

 

ME: "Wait, what does that have to do with anything?"

 

GUS: "It's got everything to do with it because you're my friend.  And this is the start of my new business.  The beginning of a very very big thing.  It's like if you don't help me with this, you're not helping me build this empire that I can build with this."

 

ME: "But my monthly plan now is cheaper... and so are the local AND long distance charges."

 

GUS: "It's like 60 cents man.  60 cents.  It's 60 CENTS.  And 60 cents is like...is like... it's like a Big Mac!"

 

ME: "HUH?"

 

GUS: "Lemme ask you this....Am I not even worth a Big Mac to you? Huh?  Is that what it is?  *dramatic pause* Is our long standing friendship NOT EVEN WORTH A BIG MAC???"

 

*******3 straight days of 1.5 hour conversations about this later*****

 

ME: "Look, FIIIIIIIIINE.  I'll sign up, I'll sign up, I'll sign up-- will you JUST shut up about the friggin' BIG MAC!"

 

..........and I believe, to this day, I am still the only idiot who signed up for Excel Communications. 

 

 

The memories are endless... some of them hilarious, some of them just the hum-drum of daily life, and some of them very deep and sentimental in those rare moments when he shows his soft side... and then there are some of them like this one, where it was excruciatingly frustrating at the time, but are now only bitter sweet because there will be no more 1.5 hour conversations of arguing with him. 

 

We have no choice but to move on with life and do what we have to do, but I know in our busy and various lives, those whose lives have been touched by him still think of him when we see something that reminds us of him... and miss him like crazy at different moments.

 

He always had one of those awkward but super sweet and rare sentimental moments whenever I remembered to call him on his birthday.  So for this year, it is no different, I've still gotta wish him a happy birthday.  

 

3.19.2007

To Augustus Chang, “he sang his didn’t he danced his did.” Your website memorial to Augustus was truly an emotional ride. Thanks to each of you who contributed. You have provided those of us who lost touch with Augustus and opportunity to know, share and understand how fortunate we were to have been part of “The Augustus Chang Experience.”  I was Gus’ eighth grade Language Arts teacher the first year he came to TAS. His first year was, shall I say, ‘a year of adjustment’, for both of us. Each day, without fail, began like this: "Augustus take your hat off."  Each day the struggle of the ‘alpha males’ played out on a 20’ by 30’ piece of turf known as 4B09. To many, this daily ritual probably appeared to be struggle for dominance or ultimate supremacy. It wasn’t. We both wanted the same thing: tolerance, understanding and mutual respect. Our year together wasn’t easy; there were some anxious moments. One hundred and ten minutes a day for 180 days with Augustus. Just think of the possibilities. It didn't happen that year, but eventually Gus let me in past that protective veneer, that bravado he often employed to mask his vulnerabiliy and insecurities exposing his soft under-belly of humanity. It was Augustus’ humanity and vulnerability that I loved and learned from. Reading his friend’s comments confirmed for me how Gus had, in his unique, unconventional, often iconoclastic way taught me as much as I taught him. Augustus 'hip-hopped' through life while I two-stepped, a generational ‘Thang’. The music was different, but we made room for each other on the dance floor.

Many attempt to live according to the cliché, but only few can attest to truly live everyday as your last with the same magnitude as my friend Augustus Chang.  Possibly never experiencing a single boring day in his life, Gus lived each day to the fullest with his own personalized-style of uninhibited brashness.  Curiously, it’s that same stubbornness which explicably propelled him into constant mayhem and “adventure”, which also inexplicably helped “charm” his way into the hearts of many.  But it’d be a lie and a perversion of Gus’ past to say he was the kindest, gentlest, warmest person I know—because fact of the matter is, you didn’t truly immerse in the “Augustus Chang Experience” until you felt the urge to pull out every strand of you hair if you had to hear one more “get-rich-quick-scheme”, one more “life-altering” Donald Trump/Robert Kiyosaki quote, one more candy-machine expansion plan, one more reason why you should sign up with Excel Communications, one more high-pitched-machine-gun-like giggle, one more plea to psychoanalyze him, one more rationale for why he deserves to sleep on the bed and not you, one more mid-sentence rude interruption, one more glaring example of why he’s far more superior than you in every possible way, one more story of how he really got that scar, one more excuse for why he’s late…one more time Gus…please, just one more…

 

There are those that live through life quietly without really “living”.  Perhaps these are the people you strain to remember if they were at a certain group event or conversation.  Gus was definitely, absolutely, never one of those people.  Because regardless of your impression of him, you can easily recall the exact location and event at which you first entered the “Augustus Chang Experience”.  For me, I will always remember Gus as the most ambitious, loyal, forgiving, confident, big-hearted strong warrior who first reached out to me on the courts of TAS by offering me a spot on “his” crew.  Unfortunately, because of our competitive-natured friendship, I don’t think Gus ever really appreciated just how much of an influence he had on me.  The passion and drive in which he attacked life humbles my posh upbringing and truly inspires me—now, more than ever—to be appreciative of the people around me.  He was my “counterbalance in life”, so to speak, to remind me just how fortunate I was and to constantly challenge myself to reach for my full potential. 

 

I’m grateful for the laughs and the screams that we shared Gus.  Rest in peace knowing you’ve inspired more people than you know, and that memories of you will be passed on for generations.  I’ll miss you homie, thanks for inviting me in for the ride.

NYC 2005

Gus, Chris, Colin, Craig, Stu

April 2004

Stu, Chris, Colin, Gus, Craig

July 2005

NYC

2005

@ Colin's wedding

June 2002

A group shot of the boys. 

Joe, Gus, Peter, Colin, Jon, Chris

You will always be one of the Boys. Until we meet again. C.

I want to remember him.

For as long as I live i'll never forget this.

Remember when he got us that limo out of nowwwwhere? That was soooo huge.

It was a million years ago but it feels like yesterday.

Miss you Gus.