Old Professor's 'Foot Massage Paradise': Living the 'Good Life'?

So, I saw this old professor talking about his life as a senior citizen. He's over seventy, both his sons went abroad for school and work and don't plan on coming back. His wife passed away early on, so he's all alone. He told me he spends over ten thousand bucks a month at a foot massage place. Pretty interesting, huh? You'd think with all that money, he'd be having a blast. But it gets weirder. His middle son even tried to take him abroad, but he couldn't adapt and got super frustrated. He only knew Russian when he was young, so going to English-speaking countries was a real pain. Even his neighbors didn't come out to say hi, and he had to wear a badge his son made for him in case he got lost. Talk about depressing! His son got fed up with him eventually and sent him back home.

Now that he's back, there's this new foot massage place across from his apartment complex and he goes there all the time. His kids and grandkids are all abroad, so he's got nothing else to do. He mostly just chats with the girls who work there and doesn't do much else. When there are no 'real' customers, he patiently soaks his feet and keeps an eye out for the girls.

He says those girls have it tough too, working to make ends meet. Most of them don't plan on staying in the big city for long and just wanna make some money to marry a nice guy back home. They're simple and kind-hearted, for the most part. He's a regular at the foot massage place now and loves eating and staying there. He's tried inviting some of the girls over to cook and chat before, but they always seemed so stiff and unapproachable. Apparently, he's not a 'serious' person. So, he prefers going to the foot massage place, where the girls love listening to his stories. Before he goes, he always calls to ask what they want to eat and goes to the market to get fish, shrimp, crab, meat, eggs, and poultry. He can't cook, but the girls can, and they all eat together, laughing and joking around. Afterward, when there's nothing left to do, the girls will cross-stitch or watch TikTok outside, while he'll bask in the sun in the courtyard.

He says he spends around ten thousand bucks a month living like this. He's over seventy and doesn't have to leave anything behind for anyone. After hearing his story, I couldn't help but wonder if this is what they mean by 'living life on your own terms.'