Robert Beltran at the Dallas Comic Con

It's a long way to Dallas/Texas

It took a lot of time and hours without sleep to come to Richardson near Dallas. My first steps brought me from Vienna to Atlanta – and it didn’t rain when I arrived. But not for long, because about 4 hours later, when we were about to leave, it rained again. And the rain has brought along his brothers thunder and lightning. No chance to take off. So we waited about 2 hours in the airplane until we could finally leave.

So I arrived in Dallas early in the morning, took a shuttle to my hotel and after some cigarettes in my smoker room and after I had put my clothes away I fell into a deep sleep. After a big breakfast the hotel shuttle brought me to the Richardson Civic Center, where I wanted to get things straight with my Speed-Pass (without any chance) – but I could find out in which rooms the event would take place. Although the shuttle would have brought me back to my hotel, I decided to walk. For Americans this must be a criminal venture. But the distance was not so far, the direction was easy to find and I am always very stubborn. It had been a good decision to look at the map on the internet and to print it out. With some difficulties, condemning my stubbornness, I succeeded at last, with a tongue dry as paper. If until then some of the Americans did not know, that I am crazy – now they knew it. And I think I didn’t really want to know what they were thinking about me walking along the streets of Richardson. I was really happy, that the police did not come to “help” me.

So, back to my dry tongue – next to my hotel there was a restaurant called “Humperdink´s” and I hoped to get inside and drink a beer – it was possible and – the greatest was – I could smoke there while I was drinking. Than I went to bed very early and very satisfied with this first day.

About 10.00 p.m. it rained again! I should think about a job as “rainmaker” in the U.S. (I also should visit a desert to see, what would happen there!).

Saturday – the first really important day – the event would start at 11.00 a.m.

I once again took a wonderful big breakfast, did everything to spruce up myself and decided to take a cab to the City Hall for not being too tired when the event would start. Hours of standing and going around were awaiting me. About half an hour before the start I got my Speed-Pass without any problems – great!

Remembering that my last photos had been very lousy I had changed a lot in using my digital camera and I had also a very simple camera with me.

At 11.00 a.m. I joined the event and looked around, where Robert would sit. And I found him – without a beard again. This time dressed in white and friendly as usual. I had to persuade him to sell me my first autograph (just kidding). I also had the possibility to talk a little bit with him. I did not look around very much – the rest of the convention was not really interesting for me. But I took a lot of pictures – all in all more than 100 on the first day – I hoped 10 or 20 would be good enough for Bettina’s Website ( I would check them at home). At 2.00 p.m. I went to Robert’s panel, he was in a good mood, very funny and he started devastatingly – his first action was to devastate the stand with the American Flag.

From the audience came questions about his education, his best and worst experiences with Star Trek, how he got his part in this series. He also talked about his experiences with Brannon Braga and Paul Bartel, how he came to “Eating Raoul” and “Night of the Comet” (now on DVD). He told us that he (at school) first was interested in sports and once a really unknown college wanted him as Quarterback. But at the same time he was interested in playing Shakespeare´s “Romeo and Juliet” and that it was Juliet (= Barbara), who influenced him to play Shakespeare and to forget football.

He mentioned that the movie “Patriotville” will be shown soon. All in all it was really good, no stupid questions, his parodies of Janeway, Braga and Bartel etc – a good atmosphere – great!  It just made me sad, that he told me he would not play theatre in September

The time after his panel was calm, not very many people did ask for autographs. I had the possibility to talk with Robert again and also his “helping hand” Linda – she was very nice, and her German was really good.

About 5.30 p.m. Robert left his space to relax – the whole time he could not eat, just drink water – a hard job.

To finish my day in a glorious way I decided to walk home to my hotel again (it was not possible to get a cab). So I took my shoes into my hand and started – I hope that was no crime – I could hear Bettina laughing at me – but although it had rained during the day, it did not rain during my way home (or exactly my way to “Humperdinks” for a drink).

Back in my room I was busy with solving sudoku until I went to bed. But in my bathroom I found a big surprise – a “nice” animal, I would call it a roach, had decided to visit me. I would have preferred the squirrel that I had seen outside. So I quickly closed the door and forgot this room until the next morning. Thanks God, the little “friend” had understood, that I had not invited him and was gone – I did not want to know, where he was now.

After my usual breakfast on Sunday and my spruce up I walked again to the City Hall with my shoes in my hand. It was a comfortably walk of about 25 minutes. I was early enough to put on my shoes before entering the Hall.

Robert’s table has been cancelled and there was no space with his name, but I supposed that he would sit beside Mr. Hampton again (a very funny guy). I had about 57 photos left to take for Sunday, but the space there was not as comfortable as on Saturday. Anyway I would take them. We said hello again (Robert dressed in black) and after a short time he offered me a seat behind his table. Maybe he could not bear it any longer to see me in front of him, or he tried by this action to get rid of my photographing rage (no, I´m just kidding).

After a while he asked me what time it was (that was around 1.00 p.m.) – he told me that he has to leave in 1/2 hour to take the plane home to Los Angeles. Okay, I had 46 pictures to take in that short time periode. And as well known - I am stubborn – I did it! Maybe sometimes my face has been a little bit blue from keeping my breath. I did not yet mention that I got my second autograph – of course. And I had also time enough to ask him about composing chorals. He told me that he had finished now about 10 chorals and that he was learning more and more by composing and was getting more perfect from one to the next.

At 1.30 p.m. I reminded him, that he had to leave now. Just some more photos with the staff and as usual a last farewell - for me the end of this event. Of course, I went back to “Humperdink´s” with my shoes in my hand and a lot of impressions and emotions in my mind and my heart.

Just to mention it: I did not reach my plane to Vienna in time (the airplane from Dallas to Atlanta was late), so I spent a long time at the Atlanta airport before flying to Vienna via Paris one day later at 3.35 p.m., that meant hours and hours of standing and walking around (without sleep).

No, that was not the end of the story, because I also  missed my plane in Paris – 2 1/2 hours more to wait, and another airport, where I was standing, sitting, walking around and waiting (without sleep). More than 50 hours without sleep – a new personal record for me – I am in a really good condition!

p.s.: When I arrived in Vienna it rained again!!!