Professor Jose Valenca’s office sits right next to the lab I go to everyday. I chatted with him while there was no students around, which was a rare occasion. Jose told me that he had retired, but now worked pro bono because of lack of teaching expertise.

Pedro, the Department Chair invited me to Jose’s retirement party. “He will teach us a final class. I don’t know yet which topic he will choose, crypotogrphy or quantum theory.” Joze is the founding director of the High Assurance Software Laboratory that I am visiting.

The ceremony was held at the Anfiteatro A1 in the Complexo Pedagogico 1, about 3 minuts away from the building of the Departamento de Informatica. While I rush to the place, I was wondering how puncturate would the procedure be followed. Would it be 15 minutes late as in Louisiana time? Or Perhaps a couple of minutes late as in Maryland time? Or rather right on as in Chicago time?

With help of Google Translate on my phone, I was able to roughly get what Professor Valenca was trying to preach to his successors and the next generation of students. I see approximately 250 people filled up the entire room. One former postdoc from Sweden came from Estonia as a surprise. The stage looks empty in the picture, because all the administrators including the HASLab Director, Computer Science and Engineering Department Chair, Engineering School Dean, and University President are all sitting in the front row as good students taking the lesson as good students would do.

Dr. Valenca retired as a full professor. Going through C.V. of the faculty, I learned that there was an extra step called agregacao, which was a comprehensive examination in mid-career.

The ceremony continued for almost three hours without taking a break. At the end, I almost couldn’t stand up because of my legs. I skipped the Verde de Honra because I need to pick up William from CLIB. Verde implies vinho in this context. Green Wine or Vinho Verde is wine produced in the Minho area where we are.

I missed the bus twice on the way picking up William. However, our old friend Adriano and Josey kept the padaria open and waited for us with spaghetti they saved for us.