What do scents represent?

Scents are often symbolic of people and places, and Pong catches the scent of lemon blossoms and fresh-scrubbed wood, which symbolizes that Nok is nearby. When Pong first arrives in Tanaburi, he catches the smell of Mr. Viboon cooking, which symbolizes the food Pong desperately needs. The smell of rotting food is a symbol of all the garbage being collected by the trash man and then thrown into the river.